\ 


BRIG.  GEK  JAMES  S.  WADS  WORTH. 


SERVICE  WITH 

THE  SIXTH  WISCONSIN  VOLUNTEERS. 


BY  RUFUS  R.  DAWES, 
M 

BREVET  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  U.  S.  VOLUNTEERS. 


"IT  can  no  longer  be  unfurled,  and  five  bullets  have  pierced  the 
staff.  Its  tattered  folds  and  splintered  staff  bear  witness  more 
eloquently  than  words  to  the  conduct  of  the  men  who  have  rallied 
around  it  from  Gainesville  to  Gettysburg." 

[Letter  of  R.  R.  Dawes,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Commanding  Sixth  Wisconsin   Volunteers,  return 
ing  this  old  color  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin,  August  4th,  1863  ] 


E.   R.    ALDERMAN   &  SONS, 
MARIETTA,   O. 


H537 

•  5 


COPYRIGHT,   1890. 

R.  R.  DAWES. 


PREFACE. 

With  the  hope  that  I  may  contribute  something  of  value  for 
the  history  of  one  of  the  most  faithful  and  gallant  regiments  in 
the  army  of  the  Union,  the  Sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  and 
with  the  especial  object  of  preserving  tor  our  children  a  record 
of  personal  experiences  in  the  war,  this  book  has  been  published. 

A  box  of  old  letters  and  papers,  collected  during  the  war  and 
carefully  arranged  and  preserved  by  my  wife,  has  been  a  chief 
source  from  which  I  have  drawn  the  subject  matter. 

Contemporary  statements  and  opinions  have  not  been  changed. 
In  cases  where  subsequent  knowledge  disclosed  an  error,  the 
fact  is  noted. 

RUFUS  R.  DAWP:S. 

MARIETTA,  OHIO,  November  roth,  1890. 


To  my  wife  who  joined  her  destiny  with  my  own 
when  I  was  a  soldier  and  thus  became,  together  with 
myself,  subject  to  the  extreme  perils  of  war,  this  book 
is  affectionately  dedicated. 

RUFUS  R. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.     PAGES  5-21. 

The  Call  for  Volunteers — The  Lemon  weir  Minute  Men — Anxious  Haste  to 
"Crush  the  Rebellion" — Provoking  Delays — Captain  Balfour's  Opinion 
— Assigned  to  the  Seventh  Wisconsin — A  Poster — Ordered  Into  Quar 
ters—Called  to  the  Sixth  Regiment — Reception  at  Camp  Randall — 
Company  "K,"  Better  Known  as  "Q"— Officers  of  the  Sixth— I  Dis 
cover  That  I  Have  a  Servant — We  are  Uniformed  in  Gray — Mustered 
Into  U.  S.  Service— Bull  Run— To  the  Front— The  Glorious  Passage 
East — Miss  Anderson — The  March  Through  Baltimore —Attacked  by 
"Plug  Uglies" — Lieutenant  Kellogg  in  the  Battle  of  Patterson  Park — 
On  to  Washington — Kalorama  Heights — Our  Brass  Band — First  Sight 
of  General  McClellan. 

CHAPTER  II.     PAGES  22-41. 

Picket  Duty  on  the  Potomac — Camp  at  Chain  Bridge — We  Hear  General 
Hancock  Whisper  to  his  Brigade — To  Arlington  Heights — The  "Iron 
Brigade"  in  Embryo — Officers  Weeded  out — Reviews  and  Reviews — 
The  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic — The  Grand  Review — Our  Drum 
Major — Thanksgiving  and  Mince  Pies— A  Visit  to  Ohio — Amusements 
in  the  Winter  Camp— The  Arlington  House — I  Reconnoitre  a  Seminary 
for  Young  Ladies — Tossed  in  a  Blanket — Gambling  and  Vice — On 
Picket  in  the  mud — Interviewed  by  a  Congressional  Committee — 
Washington's  Birthday  Celebrated — A  March  to  the  Front — The 
Enemy  Gone — Hard  Campaigning — Reviews— More  Hard  Campaigning 
— The  Brigade  Stampeded  by  a  Bull — Camp  Life  in  Stormy  Weather — 
Bull  Frog  Concerts— My  Brother  in  Battle  at  Shiloh— Picnic  at  St. 
Stephen's  Chapel — On  to  Fredericksburgh — A  Whisky  Ration — News 
From  Shiloh — Camp  Opposite  Fredericksburgh — Practical  Eman 
cipation. 

CHAPTER  III.     PAGES  42-77. 

Fac-Simile  Confederate  Currency — A  Remarkable  Bridge — Advent  of  Gen. 
John  Gibbon— Extra  Clothing— Still  "Spoiling  for  a  Fight"— Feathers, 
Leggings  and  White  Gloves— President  Lincoln  Visits  us— "On  to 
Richmond" — Stonewall  Jackson  in  the  Valley— We  Pursue  Jackson — 
His  men  Carry  "A  Hundred  Rounds  and  a  gum  Blanket,"  Ours  Carry 
"Saratoga  Trunks"—  "You  uns  is  Pack  Mules,  we  uns  is  Race  Horses" 


II 

— Overcoats  and  Knapsacks  Flung  Away — Celerity  of  Jackson  vs. 
Ponderosity  of  McDowell — Up  the  Hill  -and  Down  Again — We  Attend 
Church  in  Fredericksburgh — Mink  Teaches  School — A  Very  Pretty 
Fight  of  my  own — Win  by  a  Scratch  and  am  Appointed  Major — Frank 
A.  Haskell — Advent  of  General  Pope — Prejudice  Against  McDowell  — 
A  Mule  Race — Pope's  Proclamation  not  Well  Received — A  Raid 
Toward  Orange  C.  H — By  Help  of  a  Slave,  I  Capture  a  Confederate 
Officer— "Its  the  Lord's  Will  That  the  Colored  People  Help  you  uns" 
— Impending  Battles— The  Fredericks  Hall  Raid — To  Cedar  Mountain 
— He  "Done  got  out" — William  Jackson — Retreat  Before  General  Lee — 
First  Experiences  Under  Fire — To  Warrenton — To  Warren  ton  Sulphur 
Springs — Again  Under  Fire — Stonewall  Jackson  in  our  Rear — Back 
Toward  CentrevillQ — Can't  Stop  to  eat — Battle  of  Gainesville— Corps 
Commander  "Lost  in  the  Woods" — A  Midnight  Retreat— Some  Com 
ments  on  Gainesville — Sound  of  Battle  on  the  Bull  Run  Field — Fitz 
John  Porter's  Corps  Marches  by — We  March  to  the  Field  of  Battle — 
Clouds  of  Dust  Interpreted  as  a  Retreat  of  the  Enemy— Battle  of  Bull 
Run  Second — Midnight  Visit  From  General  Kearney  and  Retreat — 
Death  on  Picket  Duty— Chantilly— To  Upton's  Hill— Joy  at  the  An 
nouncement  That  McClellan  is  in  Command— Colonel  Bragg's  Manly 
and  Patriotic  Political  Stand — Colonel  Cutler  Pays  his  Respects  to  Mr. 
Stanton. 

CHAPTER  IV.     PAGES  78-97. 

Army  Re-organized— General  Joseph  Hooker  our  Corps  Commander — 
Advance  to  Maryland — At  Frederick  City— Enthusiasm  for  "Little 
Mac"— On  to  South  Mountain— The  Battle— Volleys  by  Wing— All 
Night  on  the  Field — Complimented  by  General  McClellan — On  to  An- 
tietam — The  Battle— Captains  Brown  and  Bachelle  Killed — Colonel 
Bragg  Wounded — Terrible  Slaughter  of  our  Regiment  at  Antietam — 
Incidents. 

CHAPTER  V.  PAGES  98-123. 

Exhaustion  After  Antietam — A  sad  Blunder — Colonel  Bragg  Nominated 
for  Congress— President  Lincoln  Visits  the  Army— Twenty-Fourth 
Michigan  Joins  the  Brigade— Appointed  to  Inspect  Troops— Forward 
to  Virginia— Dr.  John  C.  Hall— Colonel  Cutler  Takes  Command  of  the 
Brigade — General  McClellan  Removed  from  Command  of  the  Army — 
Colonel  Cutler  Takes  a  Stand — The  Burnside  Regime— On  to  Fred- 
ericksburgh — General  Solomon  Meredith — Distrust  of  Burnside — 
Battle  of  Fredericksburgh — The  Retreat— Clayton  Rogers  Saves  the 
Pickets— "Clayt"  and  "Bony"— Whitworth  Shell  for  Breakfast— The 
Defeat  as  Viewed  by  a  Member  of  Congress — Camp  Near  Belle  Plaine 
General  James  S.  Wadsworth— The  Mud  Campaign— The  Fifty-fifth 
Ohio  in  our  Houses— Darkness  Upon  us  as  a  Nation— Exit  Burnside— 
General  Joseph  Hooker  in  Command  of  the  Army — The  Northumber 
land  Raid— Correspondence  with  Mr.  Cutler— Political  Conditions. 


Ill 

CHAPTER  VI.     PAGES  124-141. 

A  Visit  to  Ohio — A  Public  Address — Promoted — General  James  S.  Wada- 
worth — Preparations  for  the  Campaign — General  Lysander  Cutler — 
Colonel  Bragg's  Letter  with  our  old  Flag — Reviewed  by  the  President 
— General  Joseph  Hooker — How  to  get  Ready  for  a  Battle  Campaign — 
Twenty-fourth  Michigan  *Makes  a  Raid — Campaign  Opens — I  Entrust 
Dr.  A.  W.  Preston  with  Letters  to  be  Mailed  only  if  I  am  Killed — Fitz 
Hugh's  Crossing — Experiences  at  Chancellorsville — Dismal  Retreat — 
Dr.  Preston  Mails  my  Letters — Resulting  Troubles  and  Excitements — 
My  Mother  Refuses  to  Take  my  own  Word  that  I  am  Killed. 

CHAPTER  VII.     PAGES  142-163. 

Camp  Near  White  Oak  Church — Regimental  Court — Expedition  Down  the 
Northern  Neck— Captain  Charley  Ford — A  War-Horse  Prefers  Death, 
to  Duty  as  a  Pack  Mule — In  Command  of  a  Post — "The  Patrol  has 
Caught  the  Colonel" — General  Lee  Assumes  an  Offensive  Attitude — 
Major  Hauser — Picket  Duty  on  the  Rappahannock — Colonel  Bragg 
Sick — Fooled  by  the  Balloon — Lying  in  Wait — Ed  Brooks  Pours  Water 
in  Sam's  ear — How  to  Execute  a  Deserter — Camp  Routine — WTe  March 
Northward — "Under  a  Scorching  Sun,  and  Through  Suffocating  Clouds 
of  Dust" — At  Centre ville — Bivouac  on  Broad  Run — At  South  Moun 
tain — General  Meade's  Appointment  a  Surprise— On  to  Gettysburg — 
An  Unfinished  Letter— The  Battle  as  Reported  to  M.  B.  G.— How  the 
new  Recruit  Stands  Fire. 

CHAPTER  VIII.     PAGES  164-184. 

The  Sixth  Wisconsin  at  Gettysburg. 

CHAPTER  IX.     PAGES  185-210. 

Pursuit  of  the  Enemy — The  Pride  of  Victory — William  sport — A  Little 
Rest— On  to  Virginia — Provost  Duty  at  Midclleburg— Too  Much 
W'hisky— To  Warrenton  Junction—Echoes  of  the  Morgan  Raid — To 
Beverly  Ford — The  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-Seventh  Pennsylvania 
Refuses  to  March—The  old  and  new  Colors — Letter  From  one  of  Sher 
man's  men — South  of  the  Rappahannock — I  Command  an  Outpost — 
Mink  Argues  the  Case — Refused  a  Leave  of  Absence — Conscripts  and 
Bounty  Jumpers — "Iron  Brigade"  Flag — At  Culpepper — I  Make  a 
Friendly  Call  on  the  Enemy — Ordnance  Returns — To  the  Rapidan — 
Picket  Duty. 

CHAPTER  X.     PAGES  211-228 

At  Morton's  Ford— The  Retreat  to  Centreville— A  Skirmish  at  Haymarket 
—Bob  Tomlinson — To  Thoroughfare  Gap — Roast  Turkey— Judge  Ad 
vocate  of  a  Court  Martial — General  Fairchild — Colonel  Edward  Pye — 
To  Catlett's  Station — Adjutant  Brooks  Captured— General  Cutler  Re 
sorts  to  Vigorous  Measures — A  Gentleman  of  the  Old  School — To 


IV 

Rappahannock — A    Visit    to    M.    B.    G.    in    Ohio — The    Mine    Run 

Campaign. 

CHAPTER  XT.     PAGES  229-249. 

At  Kelly's  Ford— "All  Hail  to  Old  Abe  !  "—Question  of  Veteran  Re-enlist 
ment — My  Brother  Reports  From  Sherman's  Corps — To  Culpepper — 
Kindness  From  a  Rebel — Living  in  Reuses — Veteran  Excitement — 
Regiment  Re-enlists  and  Goes  to  Wisconsin — I  go  to  Marietta — A 
Grand  Reception  at  Milwaukee — A  Quiet  Wedding  at  Marietta — A 
Wedding  Trip — A  Happy  Accident — In  Ohio — In  Camp  Again  at  Cul 
pepper — General  U.  S.  Grant — Obliteration  of  the  old  First  Army 
Corps— The  Fifth  Corps— General  G.  K.  Warren— A  New  England 
Clergyman — Colonel  Bragg's  "Religious  Affiliations" — General  Grant 
on  Review — Major  Philip  W.  Plummer — Preparations — Minor  Faults 
in  the  Management  of  Military  Affairs — A  new  Chaplain — We  win 
First  Honors  on  Inspection— Adjutant  Brooks  Returns— Chess — Court 
Martial — Crime — Indians— "We  move  at  Midnight." 

CHAPTER  XII.     PAGES  250-273. 

The  Wilderness — Laurel  Hill— The  Bloody  Angle  and  Spottsylvania. 
CHAPTER  XIII.     PAGES  274-289. 

Forward  to  the  North  Anna — Battle  of  Jericho  Ford — Battle  of  the  North 
Anna — Forward  Toward  Richmond— Battle  of  Bethesda  Church — The 
Pennsylvania  Reserves — "Pediculus  Vestimenti" — Battle  of  Cold  Har 
bor—Report  From  my  Brother  With  Sherman — In  the  Trenches — A 
Bullet-Proof  Chaplain — Lawson  Fenton — Death  of  Charles  B.  Gates — 
A  Little  Rest— My  Brother  Shot  at  Dallas — His  Journey  Home. 

CHAPTER  XIV.     PAGES  290-304. 

A  Change  of  Base — To  the  James  River — Petersburg— Repulsed — Worn, 
Weary  and  Discouraged — The  Trenches — Disorganization  from  Losses 
— Colonel  Bragg  Promoted— Out  of  the  Trenches— Rising  Spirits— Ad 
jutant  Brooks'  Expedition  and  its  Fate — Captain  Kellogg  in  Rebel 
Prison— His  Escape— Captain  Lewis  A.  Kent— Lieutenant  Earl  M. 
Rogers  Wounded— Mortar  Shell— Ice— Our  Chaplain  Finds  a  Cow- 
Appointed  to  a  Responsible  Duty — Cowards  and  Inefficients — Cuyler 
Babcock — Commissioned  Colonel — The  Muster  Out — Questions  as  to 
Term  of  Service— Dr.  Hall  Promoted— Mine  Explosion— In  Camp  — 
Mustered  Out  and  Honorably  Discharged— The  Ordnance  Sergeant. 

CHAPTER  XV.     PAGES  305-319. 

From  the  Stand-point  of  a  Civilian— The  Battle  on  the  Weldon  Road— 
"Poor  Murdered  Timmons!"— Letter  From  Captain  Remington— Cap 
tain  Chas.  P.  Hyatt  Killed— Dr.  Hall  Writes  Fully  from  the  Sixth- 
General  Bragg  Writes  of  our  Comrades  Fallen— My  Brother  Under  the 
Surgeon's  Knife— The  Sixth  Re-organized— Colonel  John  A.  Kellogg— 


Individual  Records — The  Cheering  in  the  Wilderness  Explained  by  a 
"Johnny" — The  Story  of  William  Jackson — Captain  Marston  Shot  at 
Gettysburg— Seventeen  Years  Later — To  my  Living  Comrades — Statis 
tics  From  Colonel  Fox  and  the  Official  Records. 

PORTRAITS. 


General  James  S    Wadsworth,  Frontispiece 

General  Irvin  McDowell Page    36 

General*  'Stonewall"  Jackson, "  66 

General  E.  S.  Bragg,  (as  Lieut.  Colonel  6th  Wis.) "  72 

General  John  B.  Callis "  82 

General  Joseph  Hooker, "  132 

General  Solomon  Meredith,  "  156 

General  Abner  Doubleday, "  180 

General  George  G.  Meade, "  192 

General  Robert  E  Lee, "  214 

General  John  Newton, "  224 

General  Lucius  Fairchild,  (As  Commander  of  Grand  Army) "  238 

General  Lysander  Cutler "  274 

General  Rufus  R  Dawes, "  276 

General  John  A.  Kellogg "  310 

Colonel  E.  C.  Dawes, "  286 

Captain  Rollin  P.  Converse, "  260 

Lieutenant  Charles  B.  Gates, "  284 

Surgeon  John  C.  Hall, "  302 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Battle-flag  of  Second  Mississippi,  Page  172 

Advance  on  the  railroad  cut,....* '. "     173 

Flag  of  the  Sixth  Wisconsin, "     177 

An  end  game  at  chess,. "     248 


COMPANY  K. 

"There's  a  cap  In  the  closet 

Old,  faded  and  blue, 
Of  very  slight  value, 

It  may  be,  to  you; 
But  a  crown,  jewel  studded, 

Could  not  buy  it  to-day 
With  its  letters  of  honor, 

'Brave  Company  K.'  " 


I. 

The  Call  for  Volunteers— The  Lemonweir  Minute  Men— Anxious 
flaste  to  "Crush  the  Rebellion"— Provoking  Delays— Captain 
Balfour's  Opinion — Assigned  to  the  Seventh  Wisconsin — .A 
foster— Ordered  Into  Quarters— Called  to  the  Sixth  Regiment 
— Reception  at  Camp  Randall — Company  K  Better  Known 
as  Q— Officers  of  the  Sixth— I  Discover  That  I  flave  a  Servant 
— We  are  Uniformed  in  Gray — .Mustered  Into  U.  S.  Service — Bull 
Run — To  the  Front — The  Glorious  Passage  Bast — Miss  Ander 
son—The  March  Through  Baltimore— Attacked  by  Plug  Uglies 
—Lieutenant  Kellogg  in  the  Battle  of  Patterson  Park— On  to 
Washington — Jfalorama  Heights — Our  Brass  Band — .Pirst  Sight 
of  General  McClellan. 

Fort  Sumpter  was  fired  upon,  and  recognizing  the  full  import 
of  that  event,  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  April  1861,  President  Abra 
ham  Lincoln  issued  his  proclamation  calling  for  seventy-five 
thousand  volunteers  to  suppress  the  rebellion  by  force  of  arms. 
This  first  bugle  call  of  war  found  the  author  of  this  book  in  the 
sparsely  settled  County  of  Juneau  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin. 
I  was  then  twenty-two  years  of  age,  and  had  come  out  of  college 
with  the  class  of  1860.  With  the  proclamation  of  the  President 
came  the  announcement  that  the  quota  of  the  State  of  Wiscon 
sin  would  be  only  one  small  infantry  regiment  of  seven  hundred 
and  eighty  men.  It  seemed  quite  evident  that  only  by 
prompt  action  I  might  secure  what  was  then  termed  the  '  'glorious 
privilege"  of  aiding  in  crushing  the  Rebellion,  which  undertaking 


6 

it  had  been  estimated  by  *  one  in  high  authority,  could  be 
accomplished  in  sixty  days.  It  is  pleasant  to  remember  that  at 
that  day  few  questions  were  raised  as  to  the  rates  of  compensa 
tion  for  service,  and  so  remote  a  contingency  as  realizing  upon 
the  promise  of  a  pension  was  not  considered.  Nothing  beyond 
the  opportunity  to  go  was  asked.  What  seemed  to  most  concern 
our  patriotic  and  ambitious  young  men  was  the  fear  that  some 
one  else  would  get  ahead  and  crush  the  Rebellion  before  they 
got  there.  Drawing  up  the  following  pledge  and  signing  it,  I 
began  the  work  of  gathering  Volunteers  on  the  twenty-fifth  day 
of  April  1 86 1. 

"We,  the  undersigned,  agree  to  organize  an  independent 
military  company,  and  to  hold  ourselves  in  readiness  to  respond 
to  any  call  to  defend  our  country  and  sustain  our  government." 
It  will  be  noted  that  the  service  offered  was  not  limited  to  three 
months  but  was  for  "any  call." 

Forty-eight  signers  were  secured  as  the  result  of  my  first  day's 
work.  Then  John  A.  Kellogg,  the  Prosecuting  Attorney  of  the 
county,  would  not  be  denied  the  privilege  of  signing  my  paper 
and  joining  with  me  in  the  work  of  raising  a  company  of 
Volunteers.  I  argued  with  Kellogg,  who  was  ten  years  my 
senior  and  a  married  man,  that  young  men,  without  families, 
could  crush  the  Rebellion,  but  he  could  not  brook  the  thought  of 
being  deprived  of  sharing  in  the  satisfaction  and  glory  of  that 
service,  and  feeling  that  this  would  be  his  only  chance,  he 
joined  ii%the  work  of  making  up  the  company  with  the  utmost 
zeal. 

On  the  thirtieth  day  of  April  one  hundred  men,  who  had 
agreed  to  volunteer,  met  in  Langworthy's  Hall,  in  the  village  of 
Mauston,  the  county  seat,  to  organize  the  company.  There  was 
no  contest  for  the  positions  of  Captain  and  First  Lieutenant . 
But  for  the  other  offices  there  was  active  competition,  and  the 
meeting  assumed  something  of  the  aspect  of  a  political 
convention.  After  a  discussion  in  which  Badgers  and  other 
typical  beasts  and  birds  were  considered  for  an  appropriate  name, 
we  adopted  the  mellifluous  title  of  "The  I^emonweir  Minute 
Men"  from  the  peaceful  and  gently  flowing  river,  in  the  beautiful 

*  Win.  H.  Seward,  Secretary  of  State,  in  President  Lincoln's  Cabinet. 


valley  of  which  most  of  our  men  resided.     It  would  "remind  us 
of  home"  said  one,  and  this  argument  carried  the  day. 

Extracts  from  a  letter  written  to  my  sister  in  Ohio  will  serve 
to  illustrate  the  spirit  of  these  times  and  of  this  occasion.  Their 
zeal  might  have  been  tempered  had  they  known  more  of  war, 
but  a  purer  impulse  of  patriotism  never  burned  in  the  souls  of 
men,  than  that  which  inspired  the  unmercenary  Volunteers  of 

1861. 

MAUSTON,  JUNKAU  Co.,  Wis.  MAY  4th,  1861. 

I  have  been  so  wholly  engrossed  with  my  work  for  the  last 
week  or  I  should  have  responded  sooner  to  your  question:  "Are 
you  going?"  If  a  kind  Providence  and  President  Lincoln  will 
permit,  I  am.  I  am  Captain  of  as  good,  and  true  a  band  of 
patriots  as  ever  rallied  under  the  star  spangled  banner.  We  hope 
to  get  into  the  third  or  fourth  regiment,  and  if  old  Abe  will  but 
give  a  fair  and  merited  share  in  the  struggle  to  Wisconsin,  we 
will  see  active  service.  The  men  expect  and  earnestly  desire  to 
go,  and  wait  impatiently  their  turn.  I  shall  esteem  it  an  honor, 
worth  a  better  life  than  mine,  to  be  permitted  to  lead  them  in 
this  glorious  struggle.  I  am  in  hourly  dread  of  hearing  of  some 
violence  offered  you  on  the  border,  and  wish  I  might  be  permitted 
to  bring  to  you,  in  your  peril,  some  as  strong  hands  and  as  true 
hearts  as  the  Badger  State  can  *boast. 

STATE  OF  WISCONSIN,  ADJUTANT  GENERAL'S  OFFICE. 

MADISON,  May  2nd,  1861. 
CAPTAIN  RUFUS  R.  DAWES, 

MAUSTON,  JUNEAU  COUNTY, 

Dear  Sir :      Enclosed    please    find    commissions    for    your 

*This  is  what  I  had  heard  from  home.  Letter  from  my  mother  dated 
Marietta,  Ohio,  April  28?  1861 : 

"Governor  Dennison  has  sent  six  cannon  and  two  companies  of  the 
regular  army  to  Marietta.  Your  Uncle  (William  P.  Cutler)  has  not  joined 
the  Silver  Greys  for  he  will  have  to  »o  to  Congress  in  two  months.  He  is 
one  of  the  Committee  of  Safety.  Business  is  prostrated,  yet  the  people  are 
hopeful  and  seem  determined  at  all  hazards  to  sustain  the  Government. 
Provisions  here  are  abundant  and  cheap.  The  excitement  is  so  great  and 
so  entirely  engrossing  that  all  other  subjects  are  dismissed/  People 
recognize  the  hand  of  God  in  these  things  and  feel  thankful  that  the  North 
is  right.  To-day  at  church  the  soldiers  marched  in  and  took  the  front 
seats.  What  a  sight  for  Marietta !  The  Ohio  river  perhaps  will  be  the 
border.  Before  the  end  of  the  week  there  will  be  thousands  of  troops 
quartered  in  Marietta.  I  despair  of  giving  you  any  idea  of  the  excited  state 
of  things  here." 


8 

company.     You  will  be  registered  in  your  regular  order,   and 
called  on  when  reached.     Until  further  orders  you  will  make  no 
expenses  on  account  of  the  State. 
Very  Respectfully  Yours, 

WM.  Iy.  UTLKY,  Adjutant  General. 

Commissions  enclosed : 

Rufus  R.  Dawes,         .         .  Captain. 

John  A.  Kellogg,   ....  First  Lieutenant. 

John  Crane,       .        .  '      .         .  Second  Lieutenant. 

The  question  of  getting  into  active  service  now  absorbed 
the  minds  of  all,  and  great*  anxiety  and  impatience  was  displayed 
lest  we  should  not  be  called,  or  other  companies,  later  organized, 
should  be  preferred.  On  May  i6th,  I  wrote  to  my  brother,  K.  C. 
Dawes,  then  a  student  in  college  in  Ohio,  "I  am  working  like  a 
beaver  to  get  my  company  into  active  service.  We  sent  John 
Turner,  (an  influential  citizen,)  to  Madison  to  see  the  Governor. 
I  have  a  hundred  men  upon  the  muster  roll.  I  have  quite  a 
number  of  raftsmen  from  the  pineries.  To  endure  the  hardships 
of  actual  service  none  could  be  better  fitted.  Campaigning  in 
the  field  would  be  a  luxury  in  comparison  to  logging  in  the 
winter  in  the  pineries.  I  don't  believe  there  can  be  better 
soldiers." 

During  this  period  of  doubt  and  anxiety,  I  found  comfort  in 
the  judgment  of  one  Captain  Balfour,  of  Mauston.  He  differed 
from  the  general  opinion  as  to  the  serious  magnitude  of  the 
coming  war.  Jle  was  an  old  gentleman  who  had  served  as  a 
Captain  in  the  British  army.  He  had  been  through  campaigns 
in  Spain  and  was  present  at  the  burial  of  Sir  John  Moore.  He, 
and  other  young  officers,  he  informed  me,  had  taken  turns  in 
sitting  on  the  throne  of  Spain  which  had  been  abandoned  by 
Joseph  Bonaparte,  when  Wellington's  army  had  entered  Madrid. 

His  wife,  a  hale  and  bright  old  lady,  had  been  with  him  in 
these  campaigns,  serving  as  vivandiere  of  his  regiment.  Captain 
Balfour,  then  over  eighty  years  of  age,  said  "Don't  fret,  young 
man,  your  company  will  be  needed.  Those  Southern  people  are 
determined  upon  war.  It  will  take  years  to  put  them  down. 
You'll  see,  you'll  see!  You  have  no  Wellingtons  or  Napoleons 
in  this  country,  and  next  to  no  experience  in  war.  This  is  no 


job  of  sixty  days."  I  constantly  advised  with  this  venerable 
soldier  who  gave  me  excellent  counsel  and  suggestions  of 
practical  value,  drawn  fiom  a  long  experience  in  field  service. 
Two  wreeks  moie  passed  away,  much  exciting  news  coming 
from  Ohio,*  and  on  the  second  of  June,  I  find  tlte  following 
report  of  the  condition  of  our  affairs  in  a  letter  to  my  sister. 
"At  present  the  prospect  seems  very  good  for  our  company 
remaining  at  home  a  month  or  two  yet.  We  have  been  assigned 
to  the  seventh  regiment.  Six  regiments  are  now  under  pay  and 
the  seventh  will  be  called  into  camp  when  the  fifth  is  mustered 
into  the  United  States  service.  The  first  four  regiments  have 
already  been  mustered  in.  It  is  perhaps  better  to  be  so,  though 
a  severe  trial  to  our  patience.  I  went  to  Madison  to  see  Governor 
Randall  and  the  Adjutant  General,  but  could  get  no  higher  on 
the  list.  Wisconsin  has  twelve  regiments  already,  and  we  are 
well  up  to  be  in  the  seventh."  On  the  loth  of  June  I  write:  "The 
first  six  regiments  are  now  accepted  by  the  General  Government, 
and  I  expect  to  be  ordered  into  quarters.  I  think  we  will  be  in 
ample  time  to  go  with  the  grand  expedition  down  the  Mississippi 
and  hold  a  merry  Christmas  in  New  Orleans.  This  delay  will 
make  some  hard  work,  recruiting  to  fill  vacancies,  but  I  can  have 
a  full  company.  George  W.  Bird  and  William  F.  Vilas  are 
looking  after  my  interests  at  Madison."  These  gentlemen  had 
been  old  friends  and  college  associates  at  the  Wisconsin  State 
University. 


^Marietta  had  now  become  a  Cainp  for  the  troops  that  made  up  the  army 
for  the  campaign  in  West  Virginia.  From  my  mother : 

MARIETTA,  OHIO,  May  27ib,  1861. 

"All  of  the  first  ladies  in  the  city  have  given  their  names  to  nurse  or 
furnish  supplies  for  the  sick.  As  yet  we  have  no  system,  but  hope  to  get 
organized  in  a  day  or  two.  The  hospital  is  an  old  brick  building  near  the 
Fair  ground.  There  are  thirty-nine  sick  men  there  to-day,  and  they  are 
far  from  comfortable.  But  the  Citizens  are  sending  in  things  every  day  and 
we  shall  soon  get  fixed.  Most  of  the  men  are  sick  with  the  measles.  There 
is  one  case  of  typhoid  fever.  Another  regiment  (18th  Ohio)  came  in  to-day. 

Everybody  is  making  bandages,   lint,  and   Havelock  caps.     L has 

made  five  and  a  half  dozens  of  plasters  of  mutton  tallow,  spread  on  linen 
rags,  four  inches  square  and  done  up  neatly  in  oiled  silk,  very  acceptable, 
the  surgeons  say."  Such  were  the  preparations  for  war  in  1861. 


10 

EXECUTIVE  OFFICE,  MADISON,  JUNE  i4th,  1861. 
CAPTAIN  R.  R.  DAWES,  L/EMONWEIR  MINUTE  MEN, 

MAUSTON,  JUNEAU  COUNTY. 

Sir:  The  Governor  desires  to  know  whether  your  company 
is  now  full  to  at  least  eighty-three  men  for  three  years  or  the 
war.  Quite  a  number  of  the  companies  on  our  Register  fail  to 
muster  full  at  the  appointed  day.  You  will  oblige  by  replying  to 
this  letter  at  the  earliest  day  possible,  and  stating  a  day  on  or 
after  which  you  can  stand  ready  to  meet  a  mustering  officer  with 
a  full  company.  We  expect  to  send  off  the  first  six  regiments 
within  four  weeks,  and  two  more  will  then  be  called  into  camp 
and  equipped. 

Yours  Respectfully, 

W.  H.  WATSON,  Mil.  Sec'y. 

A  Poster: 

RALLY ! 

BOYS,  RALLY  ! !     RALLY  ! ! ! 

ENLISTMENTS  WANTED  FOR  THE  LEMONWEIR  MINUTE  MEN  ! 
HEADQUARTERS  L.  M.  M.,  MAUSTON,  JUNE  lyth,  1861. 

This  company  is  ordered  by  the  Commander  in  chief  to  hold 
itself  in  readiness  to  be  mustered  into  the  service  on  Monday, 
June  24th.  Men  are  wanted  to  complete  the  full  complement  of 
one  hundred  and  one.  Come  forward,  boys,  and  place  your  names 
on  the  roll.  R.  R.  DAWES,  CAPTAIN. 

To  my  sister  on  the  2oth  of  June,  I  write:  "I  am  at  present 
tormented  beyond  measure  by  the  delay  in  calling  my  company 
together.  The  men  are  scattered  over  nearly  a  whole  Congres 
sional  district.  Many  influences  operate  now  to  deter  and 
discourage  the  men,  and  I  fear  they  will  order  us  into  camp 
without  giving  me  time  to  collect  my  men  or  recruit  for  vacancies. 
But  I  have  one  glorious  satisfaction.  We  have  a  place  certain 
and  nothing  but  the  lack  of  a  full  company  can  stop  us.  I  ride 
and  travel  night  and  day.  It  will  take  a  load  off  my  shoulders 
to  have  my  men  brought  together."  "Your  excellent  advice  and 
the  pin  cushions  will  be  very  serviceable,  and  on  behalf  of  the 
company  I  return  their  thanks.  Please  say  to  Mrs.  E.  B. 
Andrews  that  I  appreciate  highly  my  pin  cushion  made  from 
Kossuth's  vest."  Some  ladies  of  Marietta,  Ohio,  had  sent  to  me, 
through  my  sister,  one  hundred  pin  cushions  for  my  company. 


11 

On  the  29th  of  June  came  the  welcome  telegram,  which  was 
received  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm,  ordering  us  into  quarters. 

CAPTAIN  R.  R.  DAWKS  :  You  can  board  your  company  at 
expense  of  the  State  at  not  more  than  two  dollars  and  a  half  a 
week,  until  further  orders.  It  is  possible  that  you  may  be 
wanted  for  the  sixth  regiment. 

W.  H.  WATSON,  Military  Secretary. 

On  the  6th  day  of  July,  in  compliance  with  orders,  the 
company,  ninety-four  men  in  all,  took  the  cars  for  Madison  to 
join  the  sixth  regiment.  We  had  been  assigned  to  that  regiment 
because  of  the  failure  of  several  other  companies  registered 
higher  on  the  list  in  the  Adjutant  General's  office.  Our  arrival, 
therefore,  as  it  completed  the  organization  of  the  regiment,  was 
an  event,  increased  in  its  interest  and  importance  by  the  several 
previous  disappointments.  I  received  a  telegram  from  the 
Colonel  of  the  sixth  regiment,  while  en  route,  asking  the  hour  of 
our  arrival.  Had  I  suspected  the  reception  that  was  being 
prepared  for  us,  I  think  I  should  have  entered  protest.  As  we 
approached  Camp  Randall  that  afternoon,  the  fifth  and  sixth 
regiments,  nearly  two  thousand  men,  were  in  line,  of  battle  to 
receive  us  with  becoming  state  and  ceremony.  My  company 
had  had  practically  no  drill.  "By  the  right  flank,  right  face" 
according  to  the  Scott  tactics,  and  "Forward  march"  was  almost 
the  sum  total  of  my  own  knowledge  of  military  movements. 
The  men  stumbled  along  in  two  ranks,  kicking  each  other's  heels 
as  they  gazed  at  the  novel  and  imposing  spectacle  before  them. 
A  few  wore  broadcloth  and  silk  hats,  more  the  red  shirts  of 
raftsmen,  several  were  in  country  homespun,  one  had  on  a 
calico  coat,  and  another  was  looking  through  a  hole  in  the 
drooping  brim  of  a  straw  hat.  -  I  remember,  also,  that  there  were 
several  of  those  ugly  white  caps  with  long  capes,  called 
"Havelocks."  The  men  carried  every  variety  of  valise,  and 
every  species  of  bundle,  down  to  one  shirt  tied  up  in  a  red 
handkerchief.  My  confusion  may  be  imagined  when  I  was  met 
at  the  gate  way  of  Camp  Randall  by  Frank  A.  Haskell,  the 
Adjutant  of  the  sixth  regiment,  who  was  mounted  on  a  spirited 
charger,  and  quite  stunning  in  his  bright  uniform  and  soldierly 
bearing.  With  a  military  salute  he  transmitted  an  order  from 


12 

the  Colonel  "to  form  my  company  in  column  by  platoon/'  and  to 
march  to  Headquarters  under  escort  of  the  Milwaukee  Zouaves. 
Hibbard's  Zouaves,  (Co.  B,  5th Wisconsin,)  was  then  considered  the 
best  drilled  company  in  the  state.  Their  appearance  in  bright 
Zouave  uniform  was  fine.  I  answered  Adjutant  Haskell,  "Good 
afternoon,  Sir.  I  should  be  glad  to  comply  with  the  wishes  of 
the  Colonel,  but  it  is  simply  impossible."  So  we  took  our  own 
gait  in  the  direction  of  Headquarters.  The  maneuvres  and  the 
yelling  of  the  Zouaves,  who  engaged  in  one  of  their  peculiar 
drills,  increased  the  distraction  of  my  men,  and  they  marched  worse 
than  before.  However,  we  got  into  line  in  front  of  Headquarters 
and  were  briefly  congratulated  upon  our  arrival,  in  a  few  pertinent 
remarks  by  Colonel  Lysander  Cutler.  The  Colonel  informed  us 
-in  his  speech  that  we  would  be  designated  as  Company  "K." 
But  in  recognition  of  our  grand  entree,  the  camp  had  already 
christened  us  Company  "Q." 

Fortunately,  our  first  essay  in  military  evolution  at  the  evening 
dress  parade,  took  place  behind  the  backs  of  the  regiment. 
Adjutant  Frank  A.  Haskell  came  to  my  relief,  and  of  his 
kindness  on  that  occasion  I  have  an  appreciative  memory.  The 
fun  he  enjoyed  in  watching  us,  amply  repaid  his  service.  By  our 
designation  as  Company  "K"  we  were  brought  in  camp,  and  in 
line,  into  close  connection  with  Company  "K,"  an  alliance  which 
proved  congenial.  The  Captain  of  that  Company  appeared  to  be 
much  gratified  that  a  Captain  had  come  in,  who  knew  less  than 
he  did  about  military  matters.  Thus  began  an  intimate 
association,  which  lasted  through  three  hard  years  of  trial,  in 
wHich  we  were  together.  At  this  beginning  of  our  acquaintance, 
I  think  a  fellow  feeling  made  us  wondrous  kind.  In  politics  and 
law,  Edward  S.  Bragg  stood  among  the  first  men  in  his  state,  but 
in  military  matters  he  had  yet,  as  the  Indians  would  say,  "a  heap 
to  know."  The  sixth  regiment  was  an  exceptionally  fine  body 
of  officers  and  men,  as  their  history  may  abundantly  attest- 
There  were  many  of  the  officers  of  the  line,  already  well  qualified 
by  education  and  experience,  for  their  duties.  Company  "A" 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Adam  G.  Malloy,  who  had  been  a 
soldier  in  the  war  with  Mexico.  His  Company  was  being  well 
instructed,  and  he  was  ambitious  that  they  should  justify  their 


13 

selection  as  first  upon  the  list.  Company  "C,"  which  had  been 
made  the  color  company,  was  commanded  by  Captain  A.  S.  Hooe, 
whose  father  was  a  Major  in  the  regular  army.  In  that 
association  he  had  grown  to  thorough  knowledge  of  the  drill. 
Company  "F,"  of  Germans  from  Milwaukee,  had  two  of  the 
most  highly  qualified  officers  with  whom  I  met  in  all  my  service, 
Lieutenant  Schumacher  and  Lieutenant  Werner  von  Bachelle. 
Both  had  served  in  the  armies  of  Europe,  and  as  competent, 
exact  and  thorough  drill  masters,  they  were  no  where  to  be 
surpassed.  It  was  to  me  an  instructive  pleasure  to  watch  them 
drill  their  companies.  The  influence  of  this  splendid  company, 
and  its  Lieutenants,  was  marked  in  stimulating  others  to  equal 
their  performance.  Both  of  these  gallant  men  and  model  soldiers 
were  killed  in  battle  for  their  adopted  country.  The  Captain  of 
Company  "H,"  which  was  also  composed  principally  of  Germans, 
was  a  character.  He  could,  at  that  time,  express  himself  only 
with  much  difficulty  in  English,  He  was  a  tall  and  stalwart 
soldier,  rigid  as  a  disciplinarian  and  exact  as  an  instructor,  as  he 
had  been  educated  in  the  military  school  at  Thun,  Switzerland. 
He  had  also  served  in  European  wars,  and  acted  on  the  Staff  of 
General  Garibaldi.  One  saying  of  Captain  Hauser  in  Camp 
Randall  is  memorable.  Exasperated  at  his  men  who  got  into  a 
huddle,  he  shouted,  "Veil,  now  you  looks  shust  like  one  dam 
herd  of  goose."  Lieutenant  John  F.  Marsh  of  Company  "B," 
had  served  in  the  war  with  Mexico,  and  there  were  other  officers 
of  excellent  qualification,  among  those  upon  the  roster.* 

*Colonel  Lysander  Cutler. 
Lieutenant  Colonel  J.  P.  Atwood. 
Major  B.  J.  Sweet. 

Surgeon,  C.  B.  Chapman.  Adjutant,  Frank  A.  Haskell. 

First  Ass't.,  A.  "W.  Preston.          Quartermaster,  Isaac  N.  Mason. 
Second  Ass't.,  0.  F.  Bartlett.        Chaplain,  N.  A.  Staples. 

CAPTAINS.  FIRST  LIEUTENANTS.         SECOND  LIEUTENANTS. 

Co.  A,  A.  G.  MalJoy.  D.  K.  Noyes.  F.  C.  Thomas. 

Co.  B,  D.  J.  Dill.    '  J.  F.  Marsh.  H.  Serrill. 

Co.  C,  A.  S.  Hooe.  P.  W.  Plummer.  T.  W.  Pluinmer. 

Co.  D,  John  O'Rourke.  John  Nichol.  P.  H.  McCauley. 

Co.  E,  E.  S.  Bragg.  E.  A.  Brown.  J.  H.  Marston. 

Co.  F,  W.  H.  Lindwurm.        F.  Schumacher.  W.  Von  Bachello. 

Co.  G,  M.  A.  Northrup.  G.  L.  Montague.  W.  W.  Allen. 

Co.  H,  J.  F.  Hauser.  J.  D.  Lewis.  J.  T.  Tester. 

Co.  I,  Leonard  Johnson.         F.  A.  Haskell.  A.  J.  Johnson. 

Co.  K,  R.  R.  Dawes.  J.  A.  Kellogg.  Jno.  Crane. 


14 

On  July  Qth,  I  reported  progress  in  a  letter  to  my  sister  as 
follows : 

"After  two  months  of  incessant,  aggravating  and  provoking 
labor,  my  company  is  in  the  sixth  regiment.  We  came  into 
camp  on  Saturday  evening  last  and  we  are  now  under  the  severest 
kind  of  drill.  We  were  at  first  quartered  in  barracks,  and  given 
old  straw  in  which  there  was  no  scarcity  of  fleas,  but  last  night 
we  moved  into  our  tents.  My  men  are  not  more  than  half 
supplied  with  blankets,  and,  as  we  have  cold  drizzling  weather, 
they  have  suffered.  It  is  a  new  life  to  us  all,  but  I  hope  we  can  get 
broken  in  without  much  sickness.  I  am  studying  up  on  tactics, 
drilling  and  attending  to  the  business  of  the  company,  so  that  I 
have  very  little  time  to  see  my  old  friends  in  Madison." 
About  this  time  we  received  from  the  State  of  Wisconsin 
payment  for  our  services.  To  our  surprise  and  gratification 
we  were  instructed  to  make  up  our  pay  roll  from  May 
3rd.,  the  date  of  our  commissions.  I  remember  that  when  I 
took  my  pay  roll  to  that  excellent  gentleman,  Simeon  Mills,  the 
Paymaster,  he  said,  "I  see,  Captain,  that  you  have  omitted  to  put 
in  your  servant."  I  said,  "I  have  no  servant."  Mr.  Mills  said,  "I 
think  you  certainly  have,  as  the  Regulations  require  it."  Seeing 
that  he  knew  more  about  the  subject  than  I  did,  I  made  no 
further  objection  to  a  servant's  going  on  the  pay  roll.  This  was 
one  of  the  farces  of  our  military  system.  My  treacherous 
memory  forbids  my  recording  here,  whether  rny  servant  was 
described  as  having  green  eyes  and  red  hair  or  red  eyes  and  green 
hair ;  but  I  think  the  old  pay  roll  will  disclose  a  very  remarkable 
descriptive  list  of  this  imaginary  person.  A  Captain  of  infantry 
had  sixty  dollars  per  month  as  pay  and  sixty-eight  dollars  per 
month  as  "allowances."  Thirteen  dollars  per  month  and  thirty 
cents  per  day  (one  ration)  was  allowed  for  a  servant,  and  one 
dollar  and  twenty  cents  (four  rations)  was  allowed  for 
subsistence.  But  the  Captain  was  obliged  to  certify  that  he  had 
a  servant,  and  to  describe  him.  Few  Captains  had  servants,  but 
all  had  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  dollars  per  month. 

Our  regiment,  strange  to  say,  was  uniformed  by  the  State  of 
Wisconsin  in  the  color  of  the  Confederacy,  gray.  These  gray 
uniforms  were  of  honest  and  excellent  material,  and  we 


15 

exchanged  them  with  regret  a  few  months  later  for  the  sleazy, 
shoddy  blue,  we  received  from  the  general  government,  at  that 
early  period  in  the  war. 

The  question  which  absorbed  the  most  attention  next  in  Camp 
Randall,  was  the  impending  muster  into  the  United  States  service. 
As  the  day  approached,  I  found  it  was  inevitable  that  I  should 
lose  four  men,  who  could  not  or  who  would  not  be  mustered  in. 
One  was  too  old,  one  was  too  young,  one  showed  that  he  had 
no  idea  of  going  with  us,  and  the  last  one  had  a  presentiment 
that  he  would  be  killed.  I  labored  with  this  last  man,  for  he 
was  a  strong,  hearty,  good  fellow,  but  he  said  that  in  a  dream  he 
had  seen  himself  killed.  This  seemed  absurd,  but  I  had  to  let 
him  go.  Later  in  the  war  this  man  enlisted  in  a  Wisconsin 
Cavalry  regiment,  and  served  his  term  without  a  scratch.  Captain 
Bragg  asked  me  if  I  did  not  want  two  of  his  men.  I  was 
anxious  to  muster  in  as  many  as  possible,  and  did  want  badly  two 
men.  He  said  that  one  of  his  men  wanted  to  serve  his  country 
as  a  fifer  and  the  other  as  a  drummer.  The  fifer  could  not  fife, 
neither  could  the  drummer  drum.  But  none  of  my  men  in 
Company  "K"  could  perform  such  service,  and  they  were  all 
desirous  to  serve  as  soldiers  in  the  line.  There  seemed  nothing 
in  the  way  of  this  arrangement  to  swell  my  ranks  by  two,  and  so 
I  took  them  in.  Captain  Bragg  got  nothing  for  his  men,  but  he 
settled  perplexing  questions  about  the  music  in  Company  "E." 

We  were  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  for 
the  term  of  three  years,  unless  sooner  discharged,  on  the  i6th 
day  of  July,  1861.  The  regiment  mustered  in  ten  hundred  and 
forty-five  men.  In  my  company  ninety-two  men  were  mustered. 
In  giving  these  figures,  I  follow  the  authority  of  my  own 
contemporary  letter. 

Referring  again  to  the  old  bundle  of  letters,  carefully  preserved 
by  my  sister,  who  herself,  long  years  ago,  passed  away  from  us,  I 
find  that  the  movement  of  our  army  towards  Bull  Run,  in 
Virginia,  which  was  then  in  progress,  aroused  our  expectation  of 
moving  Eastward.  I  find,  also,  that  upon  the  occasion  of  the 
presentation  by  the  State,  of  colors  to  the  fifth  and  sixth 
regiments,  there  was  a  grand  celebration  and  jollification  at 
Camp  Randall.  There  were  about  six  thousand  visitors  present. 


16 

A  fine  supper,  the  gift  of  the  ladies  of  Dane  County,  was  served 
to  both  regiments  in  the  dining  hall.  The  camp  was  beautifully 
decorated,  and  no  grounds  were  neater  or  more  tastefully 
adorned  than  those  of  Company  UK."  To  our  First  Sergeant, 
David  I,.  Quaw,  is  chiefly  due  the  credit. 

My  next  letter  is  dated  at  Camp  Cutler  near  Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania,  August  ist.  "The  disastrous  affair  at  Bull  Run 
caused  us  to  be  ordered  this  way.  Our  journey  through  from 
Madison  to  Harrisburg  was  like  a  triumphal  march.  Men, 
women  and  children,  crowded  in  hundreds  and  thousands  at 
every  town  and  city,  to  hail  us  and  to  cheer  us  on  our  way  to 
help  rescue  the  down  trodden  flag.  This  shows  how  the  people 
are  aroused.  At  Milwaukee  an  abundant  table  was  spread  for  us. 
At  Racine,  Kenosha,  arid  Chicago  the  haversacks  of  our  men 
were  crammed  with  every  delicacy.  We  came  through  by  the 
way  of  the  Pittsburg,  Ft.  Wayne  and  Chicago,  and  Pennsylvania 
Central  Rail  Roads.  The  trip  was  full  of  exciting  and  pleasing 
incidents.  At  Cresson,  on  the  Allegheny  Mountains,  we  met 
the  family  of  Major  Robert  Anderson.  You  may  be  sure  the 
Badger  boys  made  the  mountains  ring  with  cheers  for  the 
daughters  of  the  hero  of  Fort  Sumpter.  His  oldest  daughter  is 
a  very  handsome  young  lady.  The  enclosed  sprig  please  keep 
for  me  till  the  wars  are  over,  as  it  was  presented  to  me  by  Miss 
Anderson  in  acknowledgement  of  our  compliment  to  her  father. 
We  expect  to  go  from  here  to  Harper's  Ferry  and  will  probably 
be  attached  to  Gen.  Banks'  Division.  The  rebels  are  said  to  be 
advancing  on  Harper's  Ferry.  We  therefore  expect  a  fight  in  a 
few  days.  I  wish  my  men  were  better  drilled." 

The  question  was  raised,  why  Miss  Anderson  passed  our  old 
Colonel  by  and  presented  this  little  token  to  the  youngest 
Captain  in  the  line.  It  was  wholly  due  to  the  superior  lung 
power  of  Company  "K." 

We  did  move  from  Harrisburg,  but  it  was  not  to  Harper's 
Ferry  nor  to  fight  the  enemy,  for  the  next  letter  is  from 
Baltimore.  "We  are  encamped  in  Patterson  Park,  a  beautiful 
grove  overlooking  the  city,  the  bay,  Fort  McHenry  and  a  broad 
extent  of  finely  cultivated  farms.  We  marched  several  miles 
through  the  streets  of  Baltimore  last  night,  without  arms.  We 


17 

were  escorted  by  two  hundred  armed  police.  Our  boys  were  well 
supplied  with  brick  bats.  The  rebel  Plug  Uglies  commenced  an 
attack  on  Bragg's  Company,  "E,"  which  marched  just  in  front  of 
my  company,  but  it  was  promptly  suppressed  by  the  police. 
The  streets  were  jammed  with  people,  as  we  marched,  and  the 
excitement  was  very  great.  The  sentiments  expressed  were 
spitefully  hostile.  There  is  a  slumbering  Volcano  in  Baltimore 
ready  to  break  out  at  an}^  success  of  the  Rebellion.  Your 
imagination  cannot  picture  with  what  unction  they  would  roll 
under  their  tongues  such  morsels  as,  "Bull  Run  you  blue 
bellies!"  "How  do  you  like  Bull  Run?"  "It  was  Yankees  Run." 
We  have  come  into  a  different  atmosphere.  I  hope  we  may 
remain  here  awhile.  We  need  drill  badly*  and  our  present 

*Muster  Roll  of  Company  "K,"  6th  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  in  August, 
1861. 

Captain,  .  .  .  .  Rufus  R.  Dawes. 
First  Lieutenant  ...  .  John  A.  Kellogg. 
Second  Lieutenant,  .  '  .  John  Crane. 

SERGEANTS. 

First  Serg't,  David  L.  Quaw.  Second  Serg't,  Linnaeus  Westcott. 

Third  Serg't,  Eugene  P.  Rose.        Fourth  Serg't,  H.  H.  Edwards. 
Fifth  Serg't,  John  Ticknor. 

CORPORALS. 

W.  N.  Remington,  W.  S.  Campbell,  Reuben  Huntley, 

Franklin  Wilcox,  Wm.  H.  Van  Wie,        John  Holden, 

Oliver  Fletcher,1:  Thomas  Flynn. 

MUSICIANS. 

A.  J.  Atwell,  E.  G.  Jackson. 
PRIVATE  SOLDIERS. 

Charles  A.  Abbott,  Wm.  Garland,  James  W.  Scoville, 

Charles  A.  Alton,  Jacob  Garthwait,  Edward  Simons, 

Daniel  D.  Alton,  S.  Frank  Gordon,  Erastus  Smith, 

Eugene  Anderson,  Cassius  Griggs,  Cyrus  Spooner, 

William  Anderson,  Henry  Gallup,  William  Stevens, 

Alonzo  Andress.  William  Hancock,  John  St.  Clair, 

James  L.  Barney,  William  Harrison,  James  P.  Sullivan, 

Ira  Butterfield,  PeterHelmer,  Hugh  Talty, 

Frederick  Boynton,  Cyrus  Hendrick,  Albert  Tarbox, 

Ralph  Brown,  Edward  Hendrick,  Silas  Temple, 

John  Carsley,  Israel  Hendrick,  Charles  M.  Taylor, 

Geo.  Chamberlain,  Thomas  S.  Hills,  A.  R.  Thompson, 

Joseph  A.  Chase,  Llewellyn  Hills,  John  R.  Towle, 

Thomas  Cleveland,  Volney'Holmes,  Hoel  Trumble, 

Ephraim  Cornish,  James  W.  Knapp,  Lyman  B.  Upham, 

George  W.  Covey,  Bernard  McEwen,  Richard  Upham, 

Chas.  A.  Crawford,  Daniel  J.  Miller,  William  Valleau, 

John  A.  Crawford,  E.  Mitchell,  Stephen  Whicher, 


18 

situation  is  all  that  could  be  desired.  We  are  very  closely 
confined  in  camp.  No  commissioned  officer  can  leave  without  a 
pass  from  the  Colonel.  There  is  plenty  of  money  in  the 
regiment  now,  gold  and  silver.  Our  old  Colonel  Cutler  is  a 
very  strict  disciplinarian,  and  will  tolerate  no  nonsense.  He  was 
Colonel  of  a  regiment  in  Maine  in  the  Aroostook  war.  Queer 
as  it  now  sounds,  the  boast  of  our  Colonel's  military  record  was 
in  serious  earnest. 

CAMP  ATWOOD,  PATTERSON  PARK,  August,  5th  1861. 
"Our  camp  was  attacked  about  midnight  by  the  Plug-Uglies  of 
Baltimore.  A  fire  was  opened  on  our  Guards,  who  promptly 
replied,  and  the  bullets  whistled  occasionally  through  the  camp. 
Several  companies  were  turned  out  and  quiet  soon  restored. 
Fortunately  none  of  our  men  were  struck."  This  little  afiair 
was  our  first  contact  with  rebels  who  would  shoot.  In  some 
respects  it  was  a  very  laughable  experience.  When  the  firing 
began,  which  was  after  midnight,  I  formed  my  men  in  the 
company  street  and  loaded  up  with  brick  bats.  We  had  no  guns. 
Companies  "A"  and  "B"  only  had  been  armed  as  yet,  and  they 
were  on  guard  duty  contending  with  the  foe.  I  sent  Lieutenant 
Kellogg  to  the  Colonel  for  instructions.  This  was  super 
serviceable  as  the  Colonel  would  have  sent  for  us  if  he  had  needed 
our  brick  bats.  Lieutenant  Kellogg  wandered  around  in  the  dark 
night  and  found  the  Colonel  in  the  back  part  of  the  camp  where 
the  firing  was  the  hottest.  What  instructions  he  received  we 
never  learned,  as  he  fell  into  a  dreadful  hole  in  his  reckless  rush 
to  bring  them  to  us,  and  his  condition  of  body  and  mind  was 
such  that  he  did  nothing  but  swear  a  blue  streak  about  his  own 
mishap.  With  us  the  tragedy  ended  with  a  roaring  farce.  Lieut. 
Kellogg  was  of  quick  blood  and  it  was  not  always  safe  to 
congratulate  him  as  the  only  man  wounded  in  the  Battle  of 
Patterson  Park. 


W.  R.  Davis,  Alex.  Noble,  Charles  West, 

Willard  Button,  Andrew  J.  Nott,  Chauncey  Wilcox, 

Thomas  Ellsworth,  William  Patterson,  Arlon  F.  Winsor, 

A.  G.  Emmons,  Lorenzo  Pratt,  Samuel  O.  Woods, 

R.  W.  Emmons,  Waitstell  Ranney,  Aaron  Yates, 

Abram  Fletcher,  James  Rodgers,  VolneyDeJean, Wagoner. 

Dennis  Fuller,  Charles  Reynolds, 


19 

While  we  were  at  Patterson  Park  we  were  under  the  Command 
of  General  John  A.  Dix. 

On  the  seventh  day  of  August  we  moved  on  to  Washington. 
The  order  came  while  the  regiment  was  engaged  in  the  evening 
Dress  Parade,  and  it  was  received  with  enthusiasm.  *Our  orders 
were  to  move  at  once,  and  there  was  hurrying  in  hot  haste. 
The  regiment  had  been  armed,  while  at  Patterson  Park,  with 
Belgian  muskets,  a  heavy,  clumsy  gun,  of  large  caliber,  and  not 
to  be  compared  with  the  Springfield  rifled  musket.  We  again 
marched  through  the  streets  of  Baltimore  at  night.  Our  muskets 
were  loaded  and  my  letter  says,  "at  half  cock,"  and  we  received 
from  all  citizens  the  compliment  of  respectful  silence.  We 
started  about  midnight,  in  filthy  cattle  cars,  and  reached 
Washington  City  at  daylight.  We  marched  to  the  City  Hall 
Park,  and,  late  in  the  day  to  Meridian  Hill,  where  we  established 
our  camp,  a  few  rods  from  Columbia  College,  then  being  used  as 
a  hospital  for  the  wounded  from  the  Bull  Run  battle.  This  camp, 
called  Kalorama,  was,  as  indicated  by  its  classic  name,  indeed 
beautiful  for  situation  and  for  its  magnificent  view  of  the  Capitol 
and  the  city.  But  the  three  weeks  spent  there  were  a  great 
trial.  There  were  in  my  company  twenty-five  men  sick  with  the 
measles,  and  the  other  companies  were  in  like  manner  severely 
scourged.  The  weather  was  intensely  hot  and  the  water  was 
not  good.  Melons  were  freely  sold  in  camp,  and  a  general  run  of 
sickness  was  the  result  beyond  our  measles.  On  August  fifteenth, 
we  had  in  Company  "K"  thirty-five  reported  sick  and  unfit  for 
duty.  On  August  twenty-third,  a  more  cheerful  condition 
prevailed,  as  I  write  as  follows  to  my  sister : 

"My  men  are  getting  through  with  their* measles,  and  I  hope 
to  soon  have  out  full  ranks.  We  are  drilling  every  day  and 
improving  rapidly.  It  is  announced  that  we  are  soon  to  be 
reviewed  by  President  Lincoln  and  Gen.  George  B.  McClellan." 

To  my  brother  on  August  twenty-fourth,  I  wrote  from  Camp 
Kalorama  : 

"We  are  here  at  Washington  yet,  and  I  think  likely  to  stay  a 


^General  Dix  says  he  had  "telegraphic  orders"  to  send  General  Kufus 
King  and  the  two  Wisconsin  regiments  (5th  and  6th,)  to  Washington. 


20 

week  or  so.  We  were  reviewed  yesterday  by  the  Brigadier, 
(Rufus  King,)  and  our  regiment  never  before  appeared  so  meanly. 
It  was  enough  to  try  the  patience  of  a  martyr,  the  performance 
of  that  contemptible  brass  band  of  ours.  They  played  such  slow 
time  music  that  we  passed  the  reviewing  officer  at  about 
forty-seven  paces  a  minute.  We  had  to  hold  one  leg  in  the  air 
and  balance  on  the  other  while  we  waited  for  the  music.  By  the 
way,  old  Kanouse  belongs  to  this  band.  He  is  sick,  and  I  do  not 
wonder  at  it.  He  goes  along,  pumping  up  and  down  on  a  big 
toot  horn.  He  wants  to  get  out  of  the  band.  I  should  think  he 
would,  for  if  a  man  in  the  regiment  is  caught  in  a  rascally  trick, 
the  whole  regiment  yells,  Tut  him  in  the  brass  band.'  "  Theodore 
D.  Kanouse,  who  was  an  old  college  friend  at  the  Wisconsin 
State  University,  otten  came  to  my  quarters,  and  his  witty 
comments  upon  the  infelicity  of  his  service  in  the  band,  were  a 
source  of  amusement.  He  said  he  had  undertaken  to  crush  the 
Rebellion  with  a  trombone  and,  willing  to  admit  his  own  failure, 
he  hoped  the  Government  would  not  rely  wholly  upon  its  brass 
bands  to  accomplish  that  result.  "As  the  regiment  is  at  present 
organized,  I  am  junior  Captain  in  the  fourth  division,  (Companies 
'K'  and  'K').  Captaki  Edward  S.  Bragg,  of  Company*  E,'  is 
rated  as  my  senior.  I  really  rank  him  though,  by  the  date  of 
my  commission,  and  I  propose  to  have  this  thing  corrected.* 
Twice  yesterday,  on  that  ridiculous  review,  I  gave  orders  when 
Bragg  was  at  fault.  Captain  Bragg,  though,  is  the  brightest  man 
in  the  regiment.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  Democratic  National 
Conventions  at  Charleston  and  Baltimore.  It  is  highly 
entertaining  to  hear  him  relate  his  experiences.  Our  Colonel 
(lyysander  Cutler)  is  rigid  in  his  discipline,  and  stern  and 
unflinching  in  exacting  the  performance  of  all  duties,  and  I 
believe  will  prove  of  determined  courage.  Frank  A.  Haskell  is 
one  of  the  best  Adjutants  in  the  army."  Frank  A.  Haskell 
exercised  at  that  time  a  marked  influence  upon  the 
progress  of  the  regiment  in  soldierly  knowledge  and  quality. 
He  was  an  educated  gentleman,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  College. 
He  had  belonged  to  the  Governor's  Guard,  a  military  company  at 
the  Capitol  of  Wisconsin,  and  had  been  drawn  by  natural  tastes 

*  Youthful  vapor. 


21 

to  some  study  of  military  tactics.  Haskell  had  been  born  with 
every  quality  that  goes  to  make  a  model  soldier.  He  took  great 
interest  and  pride  in  the  instruction  of  the  regiment,  and  *o 
elevated  his  office,  that  some  men  then  thought  the  Adjutant 
must  at  least  be  next  to  the  Colonel  in  authority  and  rank.  It 
was  a  good  instruction  in  the  school  of  a  soldier  to  serve  a  tour 
of  duty  in  the  regimental  guard.  One  especial  and  untiring  effort 
of  Adjutant  Haskell  was  to  exact  cleanliness  and  neatness  of 
personal  appearance,  an  essential  condition  of  true  soldierly 
bearing.  The  cotton  gloves,  which  he  required  the  men  to  wear, 
were  kept  snow  white,  nor  did  he  allow  them  to  cover  dirty 
hands.  It  was  a  dread  ordeal  for  a  man  to  step  four  paces  in 
front  and  face  the  Adjutant  before  the  assembled  guard  and  in 
fear  of  this  he  went  there  clean  at  however  great  and  unusual  a 
sacrifice  of  customary  habit.  To  see  Haskell,  "About  face"  and 
salute  the  Colonel  before  the  regiment  when  we  were  on  dress 
parade  was  an  object  lesson  in  military  bearing. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  of  August  there  was  a  general  review  of 
all  the  troops  encamped  on  Meridian  Hill.  General  George  B. 
McClellan  was  the  reviewing  officer,  and  this  was  our  first 
introduction.  On  that  day  I  wrote  to  my  sister: 

"The  General  is  a  splendid  looking  man,  just  in  the  prime  of 
life.  The  boys  are  all  carried  away  with  enthusiasm  for  him. 
Our  Brigade  is  as  well  drilled  as  any  I  have  seen,  and  is  made  up 
as  follows:  2nd  Wisconsin,  5th  Wisconsin,  ygth  New  York 
(Highlanders,  uniformed  in  kilts),  32nd  Pennsylvania,  2nd  New 
York,  (Fire  Zouaves)  and  the  6th  Wisconsin.  General  McClellan 
pronounced  our  regiment  one  of  the  best  in  material,  appearance 
and  bearing.  We  expect  and  hope  to  be  in  the  first  advance  and 
this  opinion  expressed  by  the  commander  of  the  army  is,  I  think, 
an  earnest  of  things  hoped  for.  The  5th  Wisconsin — Colonel 
Amasa  Cobb — is  a  fine  regiment.  The  New  York  Fire  Zouaves, 
the  yQth  Highlanders,  and  the  69th  New  York  seem  to  be 
drunken  rowdies.  The  i4th  and  i5th  Massachusetts  are  the 
most  neatly  uniformed,  the  best  equipped,  the  best  provided  for, 
and  the  best  drilled  regiments  I  have  seen.  L,ast  night  we  had 
considerable  excitement  on  account  of  an  order  to  be  ready  to 
march  at  a  moment's  notice." 


II. 

Picket  Duty  on  the  Potomac— Camp  at  Chain  Bridge  -We  Near 
Gen.  Hancock  Whisper  to  his  Brigade— To  Arlington  Heights 
—The  Iron  Brigade  in  Embryo— Of  ficers  Weeded  out— Reviews 
and  Reviews— The  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic— The  Grand 
Review— Our  Drum  Major— Thanksgiving  and  Mince  Pies— A. 
Visit  to  Ohio— Amusements  in  the  "Winter  Camp— The  Arlington 
House— I  Reconnoitre  a  Seminary  for  Young  Ladies— Tossed 
in  a  Blanket— Gambling  and  Vice— On  Picket  in  the  mud— 
Interviewed  by  a  Congressional  Committee— Washington's 
Birthday  Celebrated— A  March  to  the  Front— The  Enemy  Gone 
Hard  Campaigning-Reviews—More  Hard  Campaigning— The 
Brigade  Stampeded  by  a  Bull— Camp  Life  in  Stormy  Weather 
—Bull  Frog  Concerts— My  Brother  in  Battle  at  Shiloh— Picnic  at 
St.  Stephen's  Chapel— On  to  Fredericksburgh—A  Whiskey 
Ration— News  From  Shiloh—Gamp  Opposite  Fredericksburgh 
—Practical  Emancipation. 

BIVOUAC  NEAR  CHAIN  BRIDGE,  ON  POTOMAC, 
Six  MILES  ABOVE  WASHINGTON, 

SEPTEMBER  8th,  1861. 
"It  is  very  difficult  now  for  me  to  write  at  all,  so  do  not  be 
alarmed  at  a  little  irregularity  in  my  correspondence.  We  left 
the  old  camp  on  Kalorama  Heights,  a  week  ago  to-morrow  night 
(Sept.  2nd.)  Since  then  we  have  been  moving  around  from  one 
place  to  another,  wherever  o^r  presence  has  been  deemed 
necessary.  We  left  our  tents,  extra  clothing,  cooking  utensils, 
everything  but  one  woolen  blanket  and  one  oil  cloth.  We  sleep 
on  the  ground  with  nothing  above  us  but  the  canopy  of  heaven. 
To  intensify  our  discomfort,  the  weather  has  been  cold  and 
rainy.  This  is  rather  a  hard  road  to  travel,  but  I  keep  healthy, 
hearty  and  happy,  and  feel  better  than  when  I  first  began  to 
sleep  in  a  tent.  Our  regiment  has  been  doing  picket  duty  along 
the  Potomac  river  on  the  Maryland  side  from  Chain  Bridge  to 
Falling  Waters.  My  company  has  been  deployed  along  about 
four  miles.  The  rebel  pickets  and  cavalry  could  be  occasionally 
seen  along  the  other  side  of  the  river.  I  have  really  enjoyed 
this  week's  work.  The  scenery  on  the  Potomac  here,  is  very 
romantic.-  The  people  generally  sympathize  with  the  rebels. 


23 

Our  boys  have  fared  sumptuously  every  day.  They  declared 
that  even  the  pigs  were  secessionists  and  they  burned  them  at 
the  steak  for  their  treason.  Turkeys  and  chickens  shared  the 
same  fate.  It  was  impossible  for  me  to  restrain  men  who  had 
been  starved  on  salt-beef  and  hard  tack,  when  they  were 
scattered  over  four  miles  of  territory  and  sneered  at  as  Yankees 
by  the  people.  The  fact  is  I  ate  some  pig  myself.  The  present 
bivouac  of  the  regiment  is  within  a  few  rods  of  the  ruins  of 
Montgomery  Hall,  once,  you  know,  General  Washington's 
Headquarters.  Across  the  river,  opposite  on  a  high  hill,  now  the 
site  of  a  powerful  battery,  is  the  spot  where  Clay  and  Randolph 
fought  their  duel." 

CAMP  NEAR  CHAIN  BRIDGE,  SEPTEMBER  2oth,  1861. 
To  my  brother :  "You  are  anxious  to  know  whether  we  have 
any  skirmishing.  No.  Our  men  are  all  at  work  constructing 
forts  and  digging  trenches.  You  want  to  know  what  it  has  cost 
me  to  uniform.  My  sword,  sash,  and  sword  knot  cost  $35.  My 
blue  dress  uniform,  thirty-three  dollars,  undress  uniform, 
seventeen  dollars,  and  overcoat  twenty-two  dollars.  Then  I  was 
fool  enough  to  spend  thirty  dollars  on  gray,  which  is  now  of  no 
use.  Buff  vest  cost  four  dollars,  army  shoes,  six  dollars,  and  cap 
two  dollars.  My  blue  dress  uniform  turns  red  and  is  a 
confounded  cheat.  My  sash  is.  at  least  half  cotton,  and  it  is 
rapidly  fading.  My  scabbard  is  metal  that  tarnishes  in  half  an 
hour.  The  army  is  being  terribly  fleeced  by  the  Washington 
sharps.  Fancy  uniforms  are  useless  sleeping  in  the  mud.  Frank 
Haskell,  our  Adjutant,  has  been  *  assigned  to  command  of 
Company  'I'  and  P.  W.  Plummer  of  Company  'C'  is  acting  as 
Adjutant.  If  you  are  going  to  be  an  Adjutant,  set  to  work  at 
once,  learning  how  to  'About  face'  gracefully." 

CAMP  NEAR  CHAIN  BRIDGE,  SEPTEMBER  23rd,  1861. 
"The  same  'masterly  inactivity'  is  still  the  order  of  the  day. 
Beauregard  is  strenuously  preparing  himself  for  an  attack  by 
McClellan.  McClellan  keeps  thousands  of  men  building 
fortifications  to  resist  an  attack  by  Beauregard.  Yesterday  from 
the  dome  of  the  Capitol  of  the  United  States,  with  the  aid  of  a 
telescope,  I  distinctly  saw  the  rebel  flag  waving  on  Munson's 


24 

Hill,  six  miles  away.     I  could  see  a  company  of  rebel  soldiers 
also.     This  is  a  sorry  spectacle." 

The  5th  Wisconsin  regiment  had  been  separated  from  us,  and 
attached  to  a  brigade,  which  was  commanded  by  a  young 
Brigadier  who  was  yet  unknown  to  fame,  Gen.  W.  S.  Hancock. 
Hancock's  brigade  was  encamped  at  the  opposite  end  of  the 
Chain  Bridge  in  Virginia.  The  General  had  a  voice  like  a 
trumpet  and  we  could  hear  him  drilling  his  brigade.  He  would 
give  some  such  order  as,  "On  first  division,  third  battalion,  deploy 
column,  quick,  march  !"  and  the  regiments  would  proceed. 
Colonel  Cobb  of  the  5th  Wisconsin,  a  civilian  appointee,  would 
sometimes  blunder,  and  we  would  hear  in  the  same  ringing,  bell 
like  tones,  "Colonel  Cobb,  where  the  —  —  nation  are  you  going 
with  that  battalion?"  Amasa  Cobb  was  a  distinguished  citizen 
at  home  and  this  was  a  source  of  extreme  amusement  to  our 
men,  some  of  whom  would  go  down  among  the  willows  under 
the  bank  of  the  river,  and  shout  across  in  fine  imitation  of 

General  Hancock,    "Colonel  Cobb,  where  the nation  are 

you     going     with     that     battalion?"       The     men    called    this 
performance,  "Hancock  whispering  to  his  brigade." 

CAMP  lyYON,  NEAR  CHAIN  BRIDGE,  SEPTEMBER  29th,  1861. 
To  my  brother  :  "The  army  of  the  Potomac  is  in  high  spirits 
this  morning.  The  Grand  Army  has  moved  forward  and  taken 
possession  of  Munson  Hill  and  the  whole  line  of  rebel  outposts 
without  firing  a  gun.  Our  troops  at  the  Chain  Bridge  did  not 
move  forward,  but  we  were  up  nearly  all  night,  to  be  ready  to 
march  at  a  moment's  notice.  But  as  General  McClellan  will  not 
fight  on  Sunday,  we  do  not  now  expect  to  move  until  to-morrow. 
(Reference  is  here  made  to  a  general  order  issued  by  McClellan 
in  regard  to  inaugurating  movements  on  Sunday.  As  he  did  not 
inaugurate  them  on  any  other  day,  it  was  not  of  much 
importance.)  It  is  said  that  our  brigade  will  go  to  the  Arlington 
House,  and  probably  pitch  tents  there,  and  perhaps  advance  in 
light  marching  order  towards  Fairfax  Court  House.  It  is  said 
that  some  of  our  regiments  in  the  movements  last  night,  fired  on 
each  other,  and  that  others,  who  were  out  of  range  but  scared  by 
the  noise,  threw  away  their  guns  and  ran.  Colonel  Atwood  has 
resigned,  and  Major  B.  J.  Sweet  has  been  promoted  to  Lieut. 


25 

Colonel  and  our  little  Captain  Bragg  of  Co.  'E'  has  been 
promoted  to  Major.  Companies  'E'  and  'K'  rejoice  and  are 
exceeding  glad,  but  one  or  two  of  our  Captains  are  mad  at 
Bragg's  promotion.  He  is  the  best  man  and  I  am  glad  of  his 
advancement.  They  say  the  Colonel  would  have  preferred  to 
have  Frank  Haskell  appointed  Major,  but  Bragg  captured 
the  Governor.*  Our  old  Colonel  is  as  rugged  as  a  wolf,  and  the 
regiment  has  great  confidence  in  him,  both  as  a  man  and  an 
officer.  We  have  not  been  roughing  it  lately,  but  have  been 
living  high.  My  Second  Lieutenant  has  even  struck  up  a 
flirtation  with  a  young  lady  in  Georgetown.  Crane  is  making  a 
fine  young  officer.  He  is  one  of  the  best  instructors  in  the 
manual  of  arms  in  the  regiment." 

CAMP  NEAR  FORT  CASS,  ARLINGTON  HEIGHTS,  VA., 

OCTOBER  6th,  1861. 

"We  crossed  the  Potomac  yesterday  by  the  Aqueduct  Bridge  at 
Georgetown.  We  have  joined  the  division  commanded  by  Gen. 
Irvin  McDowell.  The  yth  Wisconsin  has  been  substituted  for 
the  5th  Wisconsin  in  our  brigade.  They  have  an  old  Dutch 
Colonel  named  Van  Dor.  The  igth  Indiana  regiment, 
commanded  by  Colonel  Solomon  Meredith,  is  now  in  our 
brigade. t  We  are  encamped  in  the  woods  on  the  line  of 
fortifications  which  extends  from  Chain  Bridge  to  Alexandria  in 
front  of  Washington,  and  near  the  Arlington  House." 

CAMP  ARLINGTON,  VA.,  OCTOBER  28th,  1861. 
To  my  sister :     "Ten  officers]:  have  left  or  been  removed  from 

*This  is  camp  chaff.  Governor  Alexander  W.  Randall,  about  that  time, 
visited  our  camp  at  Arlington  and  this  circumstance  probably  gave  rise  to 
such  talk. 

tThus  was  originally  made  up  the  Iron  Brigade  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  The  camp  at  Chain  Bridge  may  be  considered  as  the  beginning 
of  the  history  of  that  body  of  troops,  and  this  movement  to  Arlington 
its  first  march.  The  regiments  comprising  the  brigade  were  now,  2nd 
Wisconsin,  6th  Wisconsin,  7th  Wisconsin  and  19th  Indiana,  and  these 
regiments  remained  brigaded  together  till  the  close  of  the  war.  It  was 
fully  a  year  from  this  time,  however,  before  the  brigade  became  known  by 
its  now  historic  title. 

+Officers  who  left  the  regiment  about  this  time : 

Capt.  M.  A.  Northrup,  Co.  "G."  First  Lieut.  G.  L.  Montague,  Co."G." 

Capt.  John  O'Rourke,  Co.  "D."  First  Lieut.  J.  D.  Lewis,  Co.  "H." 

Capt.  Wm.  H.  Lindwurm,  Co.  "F."    2nd  Lieut.  P.  H/McCauley,  Co.  "D." 
Capt.  Leonard  Johnson,  Co.  "I."         2nd  Lieut.  John  Crane,  Co.  "K." 
First  Lieut.  John  Nichol,  Co.  "D."      2nd  Lieut.  A.  J.  Johnson,  Co.  "I." 


our  regiment  for  various  reasons.  My  Second  Lieutenant  has 
resigned  upon  invitation  of  the  Colonel.  I  feel  indignant  about 
it  but  am  unable  to  prevent  it.  He  was  certainly  a  very 
promising  young  officer.  First  Sergeant,  David  L.  Quaw,  will 
be  Second  Lieutenant  of  my  company  in  place  of  Crane.  He  will 
be  a  genial,  companionable  tent  mate,  but  I  doubt  if  he 
develops  the  fine  soldierly  qualities  possessed  by  Crane." 

Colonel  Cutler  applied  a  rigorous  policy  of  weeding  out 
line  officers,  who,  for  various  reasons  were  not  acceptable  to 
him.  Under  the  thin  disguise  of  failure  to  pass  examination 
before  a  certain  commission  of  officers,  of  whom  I  believe, 
General  James  S.  Wadsworth  was  President,  several  very 
promising  officers  were  arbitrarily  driven  out  of  the  regiment. 
The  Irish  Company  "D"  was  entirely  stripped  of  its  officers,  and 
too  close  a  sympathy  with  them,  by  our  young  Irish  Lieutenant, 
Crane,  probably  brought  this  attack  upon  him.  Company  "G" 
was  also  stripped  of  its  officers.  There  was  much  bitter  feeling  in 
the  regiment  over  these  matters.  Some,  however,  of  the  displaced 
officers  had  proved  incompetent,  and  others  might  be  termed 
incorrigible,  so  far  as  the  discipline  of  the  regiment  was 
concerned.  First  Lieutenant,  Philip  W.  Plummer,  of  Company 
"C,"  was  appointed  Captain  of  Company  "G."  He  proved  one  of 
the  most  successful  of  our  company  commanders.  Of  patient 
temper  and  considerate  judgment,  he  was  yet  a  strict  and 
exacting  officer.  The  trim  and  soldierly  First  Sergeant  of 
Company  "E,"  William  A.  Reader,  was  made  First  Lieutenant  of 
Company  "G,"  and  James  L.  Converse,  the  First  Sergeant  of 
Company  "G,"  was  promoted  to  Second  Lieutenant.  No  more 
deserving  officer  was  upon  our  rolls  than  James  L.  Converse,  and 
he  was  faithful  to  the  end,  for  he  was  killed  in  battle.  Loyd  G. 
Harris  was  advanced  from  First  Sergeant  to  be  Second 
Lieutenant  of  Company  ''C."  Lieutenant  John  A.  Kellogg  was 
promoted  to  be  Captain  of  Company  "I"  and  Clayton  K.  Rogers, 
of  Company  "I,"  was  promoted  from  the  ranks  to  be  Second 
Lieutenant.  This  brought  upon  the  list  an  officer  of  great 
usefulness  and  remarkable  courage  and  energy.  David  L.  Quaw 
was  made  First  Lieutenant  and  Sergeant  John  Ticknor,  Second 
Lieutenant  of  my  company,  "K."  The  Irish  Company,  "D," 


27 

which  had  been  stripped  of  its  Irish  officers,  was  officered  by  the 
appointment  of  Lieutenant  John  F.  Marsh  of  Company  "B"  as 
Captain,  and  Michael  H.  Fitch,  the  Sergeant  Major,  was 
appointed  First  Lieutenant^,  and  Samuel  Birdsall,  Second 
Lieutenant.  Thomas  Kerr,  who  afterward  reached  the  rank  of 
Lieutenant  Colonel,  was  with  all  others  in  the  ranks  of  Company 
"D,"  overlooked.  This  appointment  of  strangers  to  command  of 
the  company,  and  disregard  of  their  natural  and  reasonable 
preference  as  to  nationality,  made  bad  feeling  among  the  men  of 
that  company.  Marsh  and  Fitch  were  excellent  officers  and 
discreet  men,  and  less  difficulty  resulted  than  was  anticipated. 

This  changing  around  of  officers,  indiscriminately  from 
•company  to  company,  was  a  new  departure,  and  it  gave  to  our 
regiment  a  violent  wrench.  Colonel  Cutler  had  in  all  matters  of 
command  and  discipline,  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  and  his 
justification  must  be  found  in  the  fact  that  good  results 
ultimately  followed.  Among  the  best  results  was  bringing  up 
from  the  ranks,  a  number  of  excellent  young  officers. 

To  my  sister :  (no  date.)  "A  military  life  in  camp  is  the  most 
monotonous  in  the  world.  It  is  the  same  routine  over  and  over 
every  day.  Occasionally  we  have  a  small  excitement  when 
on  review.  The  other  day  an  aristocratic  old  gentleman 
rode  up  in  a  splendid  carriage,  driven  by  a  superb  darkey  in 
livery.  It  was  William  H.  Seward.  He  is  a  particular  friend  of 
our  Brigadier  General,  Rufus  King.  Caleb  B.  Smith,  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior,  has  been  in  our  camp  several  times. 
He  visits  Colonel  Solomon  Meredith.  There  was  an  inferior 
looking  Frenchman  at  our  review  the  other  day,  highly  adorned 
with  decorations,  and  gold  lace,  who  is  a  mystery  as  yet.  He  is 
some  sort  of  a  foreign  Prince.  Our  boys  call  him  'Slam  Slam.* 
The  finest  looking  military  officer,  McClellan  not  excepted,  is 
our  division  commander,  General  Irvin  McDowell.  General 
King  is  a  homely  looking  man,  but  he  is  a  cultivated  gentleman. 
General  Blenker,  who  commands  the  division  encamped  upon 
our  left,  looks  to  me  like  a  very  common  Dutchman. 

If  you  have  stockings  and  blankets  for  the  soldiers,  send  them 
where  they  are  needed,  not  here.  If  you  could  hear  our  men 
complain  about  being  pack  horses  to  carry  the  clothing  forced 


28 

upon  them,  you  would  not  think  they  were  suffering.  Every 
man  in  my  company  has  one  cloth  uniform  coat,  one  overcoat, 
some  men  two,*  three  pairs  of  pants,  three  to  five  pairs  of 
stockings,  two  woolen  shirts,  one  undershirt,  and  most  of  them 
two  pairs  of  shoes,  and  the  regiment  has  been  forced  to  send  to 
Washington  a  large  amount  of  good  state  clothing,  (gray).  Take 
the  above  mentioned  articles  in  connection  with  two  or  three 
blankets,  and  pile  them  on  to  a  man,  in  addition  to  his  Belgian 
musket,  cartridge  box,  and  accoutrements,  and  you  can  appreciate 
the  just  cause  for  complaint  of  our  knapsack  drills.  The  plea 
is,  that  these  drills  make  the  men  tough.  Knapsack  drills, 
reviews  and  inspections  are  the  order  of  the  day.  General 
McDowell  reviews  us,  then  General  McClellan,  then  General 
McClellan,  and  then  McDowell.  Every  member  of  the  Cabinet 
has  been  present  on  some  of  these  occasions,  but  we  have  not 
yet  had  the  President.  How  soon  we  will  move,  or  what  the 
plan  of  campaign  will  be,  are  subjects  I  have  long  ceased  to 
bother  my  head  about.  We  feel  very  sad  over  the  battle  of 
Balls  Bluff.  You  may  remember  that  the  i5th  Massachusetts 
was  formerly  brigaded  with  us.  The  officers  were  a  fine  set  of 
men,  and  General  Baker's  brigade  was  for  a  long  time*  encamped 
next  to  us  at  Chain  Bridge.  The  most  intelligent,  best  looking 
men  I  have  seen  in«  the  service,  belonged  to  the  i5th 
M  assachuse  tts . ' ' 

The  super  abundant  supply  of  clothing  may  be  taken  as  a 
sample  of  the  magnificent  manner  in  which  the  grand  army  was 
being  equipped.  The  resources  of  the  government  were  freely 
lavished  upon  it.  But  "rooted  inaction,"  as  Horace  Greely  puts 
it,  was  upon  us,  in  the  hero  of  the  hour,  the  commander  of  the 
army,  whom  in  our  imaginations  we  enthusiastically  exalted  to 
the  skies  as  a  great  organizer,  and  a  "Young  Napoleon." 

One  of  the  reviews  referred  to  in  the  foregoing  letters  was  held 
at  Bailey's  Cross  Roads.  The  troops  were  dismissed  in  the  midst 
of  the  review,  owing  to  some  reported  movement  of  the  enemy, 
and  McDowell's  division  marched  back,  taking  the  road  toward 

*0ne  blue  and  one  gray.  When  the  men  gave  up  the  gray  clothing, 
they  were  disposed  to  keep  the  overcoats,  because  of  their  superior 
quality. 


Washington,  to  our  camp  on  Arlington  Heights.  With  our 
column  rode  a  lady  visitor  ;  my  authority  is  her  own  account. 
Our  regiment  marched  at  the  head  of  the  column,  because  we 
stood  on  the  extreme  right  of  the  line.  As  we  marched,  the 
"evening  dews  and  damps"  gathered,  and  our  leading  singer, 
Sergeant  John  Ticknor,  as  he  was  wont  to  do  on  such  occasions,  led 
out  with  his  strong,  clear  and  beautiful  tenor  voice,  "Hang  Jeff. 
Davis  on  a  sour  apple  tree."  The  whole  regiment  joined  the 
grand  chorus,  "Glory,  glory  hallelujah,  as  we  go  marching  on." 
We  often  sang  this,  the  John  Brown  song.  To  our  visitor 
appeared  the  "Glory  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord,"  in  our 
"burnished  rows  of  steel"  and  in  the  "hundred  circling  camps" 
on  Arlington,  which  were  before  her. 

Julia  Ward  Howe,  our  visitor,  has  said  that  the  singing  of  the 
John  Brown  song  by  the  soldiers  on  that  march,  and  the  scenes 
of  that  day  and  evening  inspired  her  to  the  composition  of  the 
Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic.*  We  at  least  helped  to  swell  the 
chorus. 

*BATTLE-HYMN  OF  THE  REPUBLIC. 


JULIA    WARD    HOWE. 


Mine  eyes  have  seen  the  glory  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord: 
He  is  trampling  out  the  vintage  where  the  grapes  of  wrath  are  stored. 
He  hath  loosed  the  fateful  lightning  of  his  terrible  swift  sword  : 
His  truth  is  marching  on. 

I  have  seen  him  in  the  watch-fires  of  a  hundred  circling  camps  ; 
They  have  builded  him  an  altar  in  the  evening  dews  and  damps ; 
I  can  read  his  righteous  sentence  by  the  dim  and  flaring  lamps, 
His  day  is  marching  on. 

I  have  read  a  fiery  gospel,  writ  in  burnished  rows  of  steel : 
"As  ye  deal  with  my  contemners,  so  with  you  my  grace  shall  deal , 
Let  the  Hero,  born  of  woman,  crush  the  serpent  with  his  heel, 
Since  God  is  marching  on." 

He  hath  sounded  forth  the  trumpet  that  shall  never  call  retreat ; 
He  is  sifting  out  the  hearts  of  men  before  his  judgment  seat. 
Oh!    be  swift  my  soul,  to  answer  him  !    Be  jubilant,  my  feet ! 
Our  God  is  marching  on. 

In  the  beauty  of  the  lillies  Christ  was  born  across  the  sea, 
With  a  glory  in  his  bosom  that  transfigures  you  and  me : 
As  he  died  to  make  men  holy,  let  us  die  to  make  men  free, 
While  God  is  marching  on. 


30 

CAMP  ON  ARLINGTON  HEIGHTS,  NOVEMBER  2ist,  1861. 

"L,ast  Sunday  I  attended  Dr.  Gurley's  church  in  Washington 
City.  I  went  there  to  see  President  Lincoln.  I  think  many 
others  of  the  worshipers  went  there  for  the  same  purpose.  Mr. 
Lincoln  is  very  tall  and  very  homely,  but  no  one  can  look  at  him 
without  being  impressed  with  the  serious  earnestness  of  his  face. 
On  Tuesday  we  marched  out  to  Bailey's  Cross  Roads  to  take  part 
in  the  grand  review.  I  must  not  write  about  what  the  papers 
are  so  full  of.  You  know  that  it  was  the  largest  review  of  troops 
ever  had  in  America,  that  sixty  thousand  infantry,  nine  thousand 
cavalry  and  one  hundred  and  thirty  pieces  of  artillery  passed  in 
review  before  McClellan,  that  the  regiments  marched  by 
'battalions  en  masse,'  and  that  it  took  from  n  o'clock  A.  M. 
until  4  P.  M.  to  pass  the  reviewing  officer,  and  that  the  President, 
the  members  of  the  Cabinet,  and  all  the  celebrities,  foreign  and 
domestic,  were  present.  But  perhaps  you  have  not  seen  that 
General  McClellan  was  so  overcome  by  the  lofty  pomposity  of 
drum  major  William  Whaley  of  this  regiment,  that  he  took  off 
his  hat  when  Whaley  passed.  But,  sad  to  relate,  Whaley  was  so 
overcome  by  this  recognition,  which  took  place  while  he  was 
indulging  in  a  top  loftical  gyration  of  his  baton,  that  he  dropped 
the  baton.  From  the  topmost  height  of  glory  he  was  plunged 
into  the  deepest  gulf  of  despair.  This  drum  major  of  ours  we 
regard  with  pride  and  affection  as  the  finest  adornment  of  the 
regiment.  He  can  hold  his  head  higher,  and  whirl  his  baton 
faster  than  any  other  drum  major  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
It  is  enough  to  make  one  sad,  to  see  the  stately  Whaley  leading 
that  execrable  brass  band  on  dress  parade,  eternally  playing  the 
Village  Quickstep,  but  when  his  own  drum  corps  is  behind  him, 
'Richard  is  himself  again,'  and  he  snuffs  the  air  and  spurns  the 
ground  like  a  war  horse." 

The  marching  of  the  regiment,  which  led  the  brigade  and 
division  at  the  grand  review,  had  now  become  almost  faultless. 
As  the  solid  block  of  eight  hundred  stalwart  western  men, 
approached  the  Commanding  General,  marching  in  perfect  time 
and  with  free  and  easy  stride,  led  by  this  truly  splendid  drum 
major,  the  great  crowd  at  the  reviewing  stand  continued  cheering 
and  clapping  hands. 


31 

On  the  twenty-eighth  of  November,  the  regimental  mess, 
composed  of  the  field,  staff  and  line  officers,  had  a  Thanksgiving 
dinner.  We  had  built  a  large  log  dining  hall,  which  was  very 
comfortable,  although  home  made.  Our  dinner  was  no  small 
affair.  Colonel  Cutler  also  made  each  company  in  the  regiment, 
the  happy  recipient  of  twenty  mince  pies,  about  a  quarter  of  a 
pie  to  each  man. 

I  here  obtained  a  leave  of  absence  for  ten  days,  for  a  visit  to 
Ohio* 

Letter  received  at  Marietta,  from  Sergeant  Upham : 

HEADQUARTERS  SIXTH  REGIMENT,  Wis.  VOLS. 

ARLINGTON  HEIGHTS,  VA.,  DEC.  3ist,  1861. 

"CAPTAIN  D AWES, — Dear  Sir: — I  take  this  early  opportunity 
of  writing  to  you,  knowing  that  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  from  your 
company.  I  will  tell  you  how  we  got  along  since  you  left.  You 
remember  that  Lieutenant  Quaw  was  on  court  martial,  and  that 
Lieutenant  Reader  was  to  take  the  company  out  on  battalion 
drill,  the  afternoon  you  left.  Well,  Reader  was  unable  to  go. 
So  this  deponent  formed  the  company,  and  when  drill  time  came, 
there  was  no  one  to  take  it  out.  *At  the  drum  call  I  marched  the 
company  out  and  formed  them  in  battalion,  anxiously  hoping 
that  some  commissioned  officer  would  come  to  my  relief,  and 
wishing  that  Marietta  were  in  a  hot  place  so  that  you  could  have 
remained  with  us.  Well,  Captain  Brown  took  charge  of  'K,'  and 
I  felt  as  though  a  mountain  had  been  lifted  from  my  shoulders. 
We  had  a  good  drill.  'K'  never  did  better.  'K'  came  into  camp 
in  good  season  and  fell  in  immediately  for  dress  parade,  Lieut. 
Serrill  taking  command.  Thus  ended  our  first  day  without  our 
Captain.  Two  men  remained  in  off  dress  parade,  Simons  and 
'Dick.'f  They  said  you  had  excused  them  before  you  left, — a? 
in  my  mind.  This  morning  all  was  bustle,  preparing  for  monthly 
inspection.  I  made  out  the  roll  of  the  company,  took  the  muster 
roll  to  the  Adjutant,  prepared  my  own  accoutrements,  and  was 

*The  few  days  vouchsafed  me  sped  swiftly.  My  brother  had  graduated 
from  college,  and  he  was  now  Adjutant  of  the  53rd  Ohio  Volunteers.  His 
service  was  destined  to  be  with  the  armies  in  the  West,  and  he  was  soon  to 
go  to  the  front  in  the  division  commanded  by  General  William  T.  Sherman. 
On  the  sixth  day  of  January,  1862,  I  started  to  rejoin  the  regiment. 

t  Richard  Upham,  an  Indian. 


32 

getting  barbered  when  the  drum  beat.  I  left  with  my  hair  half 
combed  and  fell  the  company  in.  We  were  inspected  by  Captain 
Chandler.  All  the  sons  answered  to  their  names,  except  Ralph 
Brown  and  A.  G.  Hmmons.  Even  Hancock  came  up  to  be 
mustered.  I  am  cross  and  ugly.  I  took  two  men  to  the  officer 
of  the  guard  to-day,  for  coming  back  to  the  company  quarters 
when  on  guard  duty.  An  imperative  order  to  that  effect  was 
issued  by  the  Colonel.  Captain  Brown  says  he  wishes  he  had 
Company  'K.'  They  move  so  easily.  Bully  for  Company  'K.' 
I  will  write  again  shortly,  so  as  to  keep  you  posted.  I  remain 
Yours  truly,  LYMAN  B.  UPHAM." 

I  arrived  in  camp  on  the  Qth  day  of  January,  1862,  the  trip 
from  Ohio  to  Washington  consuming  three  days  time. 

We  had  many  amusements  in  our  winter  camp  on  Arlington 
Heights.  We  played  whist,  chess,  and  other  games  on  wintry 
days,  and,  despite  restrictions  on  political  discussion,  in  the 
articles  of  war,  we  discussed  all  questions  of  politics  or  religion, 
with  the  utmost  freedom.  Bragg  was  a  Douglass  or  war 
Democrat,  Brown  and  Kellogg,  Republicans,  and  I  was  called  an 
Abolitionist.  But  the  baleful  shadow  cast  by  slavery  over  the 
border,  and  the  fierce  and  brutal  insolence  of  the  slave  catcher 
who  was  often  seen  on  our  free  soil  of  Ohio,  tended  to  make 
Abolitionists.  Captain  Edwin  A.  Brown  was  a  singer.  We 
were  unconscious  then,  that  his  melodious  voice  predicted  his  own 
sad  fate  when  he  sang  his  favorite  "Benny  Havens,  O."  "In 
the  land  of  sun  and  flowers,  his  head  lies  pillowed  low." 

The  officers  of  the  whole  brigade  would  gather  in  our  log 
dining  hall  and  jokes  would  be  ventilated,  speeches  made,  and 
hilarious  songs  sung.  The  "Chinese  song"  as  performed  by 
Captain  Hooe  on  those  occasions,  was  so  amusing  that  this 
reminder  will  recall  it  to  all  of  our  living  comrades  who  heard  it. 

The  men  had  one  sport  in  this  camp  which  was  quite  exciting. 
It  was  tossing  men  in  a  blanket.  They  became  expert  and 
would  throw  a  man  to  an  astonishing  height  and  catch  him  in  the 
blanket  as  he  fell.  I  once  took  this  whirling  aerial  flight,  but 
only  once,  having  no  desire  to  repeat  the  experience.  There 
was  gambling  in  camp,  that  ever-present  curse  of  camp  life  ; 
but  the  strict  orders  of  Colonel  Cutler  against  this  vice,  and  his 


33 

vigorous  discipline  greatly  restricted  the  evil  in  Camp  Arlington. 
It  was  well  that  the  regiment  had  so  resolute  a  commander.  He 
gave  almost  no  passes  to  the  city.  Thieves,  speculators, 
gamblers  and  vile  characters  of  all  kind  had  flocked  to 
Washington  to  prey  upon  the  army.  This  enemy  in  the  rear 
was  now  more  dangerous  than  the  enemy  in  front.  The  great 
thoroughfare,  Pennsylvania  avenue,  was  constantly  thronged 
with  a  surging  crowd.  The  street  was  so  muddy  that  it  could 
not  be  crossed,  and  the  western  side  only  was  used.  In  spite  of 
the  constant  marching  of  the  armed  patrols,  our  soldiers  were 
constantly  made  victims  by  the  Harpies.  Washington  was  a 
very  sink  hole  of  iniquity  in  other  ways  of  evil.  The  unfinished 
dome  of  the  United  States  Capitol,  and  the  half  built  Washington 
Monument  well  typified  the  uncertainty  of  a  continued  national 
existence. 

The  grand  old  southern  homestead  of  Arlington,  with  its 
quaint  and  curious  pictures  on  the  wall,  its  spacious  apartments, 
broad  halls  and  stately  pillars  in  front,  was  an  object  of  especial 
interest;  but,  abandoned  by  its  owner,  General  Robert  E.  Lee, 
who  was  using  his  great  power  as  a  military  leader,  to  destroy 
the  Government  he  had  sworn  to  defend,  it  was  now  a  desolation. 
The  military  headquarters  of  McDowell's  division  was  in  the 
Arlington  House,  which  was  open  to  the  public  and  hundreds 
tramped  at  will  through  its  apartments. 

Having  ample  time  to  plan  campaigns,  that  indeed  being  the 
chief  business  of  our  lives  at  Arlington,  and  pursued  by  an 
increasing  curiosity  regarding  a  young  lady  then  attending  the 
seminaay  at  Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  I  threw  out  skirmishers  in 
that  direction.  I  sent  sundry  illustrated  papers  with  pictures  of 
our  camps,  and  received  from  the  enemy  a  return  fire  of 
catalogues  and  other  Massachusetts  publications.  I  was  then  a 
devout  admirer  of  General  McClellan  and  I  received  with  disgust 
one  of  these  missives  directed  to  the  "Army  of  the  Potty  Mac." 
But  the  seminary  girls  breathed  the  air  of  independent  opinion 
in  New  England,  and  they  were  beyond  the  circle  of  McClellanism. 
This  trifling  skirmish  resulted  in  no  engagement. 

ARLINGTON  HEIGHTS,  JANUARY  25th,  1862. 

To  my  sister :    "We   are  now  having  terribly  muddy  weather. 


34 

All  drills  are  omitted.  Unfortunately  our  turn  for  picket  duty 
on  the  outposts  came  in  the  midst  of  this  spell  of  bad  weather. 
Your  anxiety  about  'the  approaching  battle'  had  better  be 
postponed.  Any  movement  of  the  army  is  impossible.  As  we 
marched  up  Munson's  Hill,  on  our  way  to  the  outposts,  the  mud 
rolled  down  upon  the  men  in  a  kind  of  avalanche.  They  waded 
up  the  hill  through  a  moving  stream  of  red  clay  mortar.  Luckily 
I  was  ordered  to  act  as  Major,  and  had  a  horse  to  ride." 

Six  days  from  my  Journal : 

SATURDAY,  FEBRUARY  ist,  1862. 

"Went  to  the  city  (Washington)  to-day.  Had  a  pleasant  visit 
with  uncle  William.  (W.  P.  Cutler,  member  Congress.)  In  the 
evening  we  went  to  his  rooms  to  call  on  Hon.  Henry  L,.  Dawres, 
of  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Dawes  treated  me  very  politely.  The 
Congressional  Investigating  Committee  of  which  Mr.  Van  Wyck, 
of  New  York,  is  Chairman,  was  holding  a  session  at  his  rooms. 
Mr.  Holman*  of  Indiana,  overhearing  that  I  was  an  officer  in  the 
6th  Wisconsin,  undertook  to  pump  me  on  some  charges  somebody 
has  been  making  against  Colonel  Cutler.  It  was  all  new  to  me, 
and  I  knew  nothing  at  all  about  the  matter.  Mr.  Dawes  was 
evidently  annoyed  at  this  breach  of  his  hospitality  and  Mr.  R.  C. 
Fenton  called  Mr.  Holman  sharply  to  order,  and  to  a  proper 
sense  of  the  rudeness  of.  his  conduct.  It  was  quite  disagreeable. 
SUNDAY,  FEBRUARY  2nd,  1862. 

Returned  to  camp  in  the  morning.  I  found  one  of  my  men, 
private  Ed.  Hendrick,  sick  with  the  small  pox.  I  had  him 
removed  to  Washington.  It  is  varioloid,  and  I  hope  may  stop  with 
this  case.  • 

MONDAY,  FEBRUARY  3rd,  1862. 

Was  officer  of  the  day.  Rode  over  to  Balls'  Cross  Roads  to 
inspect  guards.  I  never  saw  mud  before,  equal  to  that  I 
encountered. 

TUESDAY,  FEBRUARY  4th,  1862. 
Mud, — mud, — mud  precludes  drill,  everything,  to  say  nothing 

*This  does  Mr.  Holman  an  injustice.  He  fairly  inferred  that  I  was  there 
to  be  examined  as  others  had  been.  An  evidence  of  the  wonderful 
memory  of  details  possessed  by  Mr.  Holinan  is  the  fact  that  in  1882  he  was 
able  to  recall  this  circumstance. 


35 

of  an  advance  on  Manassas.     Was  detailed  to-day  as  a  member 
of  a  General  Court  Martial. 

WEDNESDAY,  FEBRUARY  5th,  1862. 

General  Court  Martial  convened  at  headquarters  McDowell's 
division,  (Arlington  House.)  We  tried  one  case  and  adjourned 
over  until  Friday.  Colonel  Cutler  is  President,  and  Capt.  Hooe 
of  our  regiment,  Judge  Advocate. 

THURSDAY,  FEBRUARY  6th,  1862.* 

A  dull  day  in  camp.  Captain  Brown  and  Captain  Kellogg  are 
jolly  fellows  to  make  time  pass  lightly.  Kellogg  sprained 
Brown's  neck  by  an  awkward  blow  with  the  boxing  gloves." 

During  the  continuance  of  bad  weather,  target  shooting  was 
about  the  only  exercise  required,  and  Colonel  Cutler  offered 
small  prizes  for  excellence.  Our  Belgian  muskets  had  been 
exchanged  for  Springfield  rifles,  a  much  lighter  and  better  gun, 
and  this  gave  great  satisfaction.  Washington's  birthday  was 
celebrated  by  Congress  with  appropriate  ceremonies.  Our 
brigade  formed  in  a  semi-circle  in  close  column  before  the  broad 

*Page  718,  Vol.  5,  War  Records,  February  6th,  1862.  McDowell's 
division  was  made  up  as  follows  : 

KING'S  BRIGADE. 

6th  Wisconsin, 960  men. 

7th  Wisconsin, 996  men. 

2nd  Wisconsin, 821  men. 

19th  Indiana, 892  men. 


3,669  men. 
WADSWORTH'S  BRIGADE. 

21st  New  York, 735  men. 

23rd  New  York, 878  men. 

35th  New  York, 976  men. 

20th  New  York, 915  men. 


3,504  men. 
AUGUR'S  BRIGADE. 

30th  New  York 800  men. 

22nd  New  York, 837  men. 

24th  New  York, 825  men. 

14th  N.  Y.  S.  M.,  (Brooklyn,) 659  men. 


3,121  men. 

2nd  N.  Y.  Cavalry,  (Ira  Harris,) 982  men. 

Batteries  of  artillery, 663  men. 

Total  division  strength, 11,939  men. 


portico  of  the  Arlington  House,  and  listened  to  the  reading  of 
Washington's  farewell  address,  and  to  an  excellent  oration  from 
our  Brigadier  General,  Rufus  King.  The  columns  were  then 
deployed  and  battalion  volleys  of  blank  cartridges  were  fired  in 
honor  of  the  day.  The  inspiration  of  the  occasion  was  felt  more 
deeply  because  we  stood  upon  ground  once  owned  by 
Washington. 

On  Sunday,  the  9th  day  of  March,  my  uncle,  Mr.  'Cutler, 
accompanied  by  Edward  Ball,  Sergeant  at  Arms  of  the  House 
of  Representatives,  came  over  to  Arlington  to  visit  me  in 
camp.  I  turned  out  my  company  "K"  for  their  inspection. 
They  addressed  the  men  briefly,  and  assured  them  that  they 
would  soon  be  called  to  more  active  duties,  and  on  that  evening 
we  received  our  marching  orders.  At  4  o'clock  on  Monday 
morning,  March  loth,  1862,  the  old  camp  on  Arlington  Heights 
was  broken  up.  The  whole  army  of  the  Potomac  advanced 
in  full  marching  order  in  the  direction  of  Centreville.  We 
expected  battle,  and  our  men  were  in  that  verdant  and  idiotic 
frame  of  mind,  which  was  then  termed  "spoiling  for  a  fight." 
After  a  hard  day's  march  we  encamped  two  miles  west  of  Fairfax 
Court  House,  and  on  Tuesday  morning,  March  nth,  we  were 
informed  that  the  rebels  had  evacuated  Centreville  and  Manassas. 
I  quote  the  comments  of  my  journal,  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
announcement  of  this  fact  was  received.  "The  men  were  greatly 
disappointed.  They  had  made  their  wills,  and  written  their 
farewell  letters,  and  wanted  to  fight  a  battle.  The  fortifications 
at  Centreville  are  by  no  means  so  formidable  as  they  have  been 
represented.  I  saw  two  saw-logs  in  the  embrasures  representing 
cannons.  So  much  for  wooden  guns."  We  remained  in  camp 
near  Centreville  until  Saturday,  March  i5th.  At  noon  on  this 
day  the  brigade  marched  back  toward  Alexandria,  and  the  rain 
poured  down  in  dismal  torrents  all  the  afternoon.  We  passed  an 
exceedingly  disagreeable  night  in  bivouac  near  Alexandria,  and 
on  Sunday  morning  returned  to  the  old  camp  on  Arlington 
Heights.  General  Irvin  McDowell  had  been  assigned  to  the 
command  of  an  army  corps,  composed  of  three  divisions. 
(*Franklin,  McCall,  King.)  General  Rufus  King  succeeded  to  the 

*Page  755,  Volume  5,  Official  War  Records. 


37 

command  of  McDowell's  division,  which  was  now  designated  as 
"King's  division,"  Colonel  Cutler  succeeded  General  King  in 
command  of  the  brigade,  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  Sweet, 
succeeded  to  command  of  the  regiment. 

We  now  understood  that  we  were  to  accompany  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  under  General  McClellan,  which  was  then 
embarking  at  Alexandria,  for  Fortress  Monroe.  We  received 
orders  on  March  i8th,  to  go  to  Alexandria,  and  we  fully 
expected  to  embark.  We  were  instead  ordered  into  camp  near 
Alexandria  and  while  our  tents  were  being  pitched,  we  were 
directed  to  march  back  again  to  Fairfax  Seminary.  The  order 
was-  obeyed  with  much  grumbling  and  scolding,  and  without  our 
supper.  The  rainy,  cold,  dismal  weather,  together  with  the 
pungent  and  blinding  smoke  of  the  camp  fires  of  green  wood, 
rendered  camp  life  at  Fairfax  Seminary,  extremely  unpleasant. 
The  little  shelter  tents,  usually  called  "dog  tents,"  occupied  by 
the  men,  proved  like  most  army  material  at  that  period  of  the 
war,  to  be  of  the  poorest  quality,  and  leaked  badly.  On  March 
25th,  the  sun  had  broken  through  the  clouds,  and  there  was,  as 
might  be  expected,  a  grand  review  conducted  by  General  Irvin 
McDowell.  The  divisions  of  Generals  Franklin,  King,  and 
McCall  were  out  in  full  force,  perhaps  25,000  men.  Two  days 
later  there  was  another  review,  upon  which  occasion  Lord  Lyons, 
the  English  Minister,  was  present  with  General  McClellan. 

One  white  day  from  my  journal. 

SATURDAY,  MARCH  29th,  1862. 

The  regiment  was  paid  this  morning.  I  got  a  pass  to 
Washington.  The  men  of  my  company  sent  by  me  $610  to  be 
remitted  in  drafts  to  their  friends.  Got  drafts  of  Rittenhouse 
&  Company. 

Tiresome  and  monotonous  camp  life  ensued  until  April  4th,* 
when  the  regiment  marched — not  to  embark  at  Alexandria,  but 
towards  Fairfax  Court  House.  We  pushed  on  until  April  6th, 
when  we  encamped  near  Bristoe  Station.  During  this  march  an 

*  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE,  APRIL  4th,  1862. 

GENERAL  MCCLELLAN  :  By  direction  of  the  President,  Gen.  McDowell's 
army  corps  has  been  detached  from  the  force,  under  your  immediate 
command,  and  the  General  is  ordered  to  report  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 
Letter  by  mail.  L.  THOMAS,  Adjutant-General. 


38 

amusing  excitement  was  created  by  the  i4th  Brooklyn  regiment. 
The  men  of  that  regiment  were  from  the  city,  clerks,  book-keepers 
and  business  men.  They  were  full  of  shrewd  devices  to  avoid 
unnecessary  hardships.  They  were  then  uniformed  in  short 
Zouave  jackets,  made  in  the  cutaway  style,  often  seen  on 
youngsters  of  about  six  years  of  age,  and  profusely  adorned  with 
buttons.  Their  pantaloons  were  red.  When  we  were  somewhere 
near  Centre ville,  they  captured  in  a  field,  a  quiet  and  peaceable 
looking  young  bull.  After  much  ingenious  labor,  they  succeeded 
in  harnessing  him  to  a  cart,  using  an  old  horse  harness  for  this 
purpose.  Then,  loading  up  the  cart  with  a  pyramid  of  their 
heavy  knapsacks,  they  endeavored  to  persuade  the  bull  with  their 
bayonets  to  march  along  with  the  troops.  The  terrified  animal 
would  at  first  only  go  backwards,  but  finally  goaded  beyond 
endurance  by  the  bayonets,  he  made  a  sudden  bolt.  Our  troops, 
all  unconscious  of  impending  danger,  were  marching  quietly 
along  the  turnpike,  when  there  arose  a  shout,  "Clear  the  track  ! 
Clear  the  track  !  "  Men  on  foot,  and  mounted  officers  needed  no 
second  warning,  but  crowded  against  the  fences  to  give  the  bull 
the  road.  Down  the  turnpike  came  the  rushing  bull,  the  air 
about  him  filled  with  flying  knapsacks.  He  completely  routed 
our  brigade.  He  soon  upset  the  cart  and  kicked  himself 
loose.  When  we  saw  him  last  he  was  still  at  full  speed.,  and  the 
"Red  I^egs"  were  hunting  knapsacks. 

The  following  from  my  Journal : 

TUESDAY,  APRII,  8th,  1862. 

"There  is  rain  and  snow  to-day.  Company  officers  are  supplied 
only  with  shelter  tents.  Our  camp  is  very  muddy.  It  is  difficult 
for  officers  to  get  anything  to  eat,  as  our  wagon  is  loaded  with 
hard  tack,  and  very  poor  ham  only.  I  paid  Jake*  ten  dollars 
to-day." 

WEDNESDAY,  APRII,  gth,  1862. 

"Rain  and  snow  to-day.  I  was  not  able  to  get  my  wet  boots 
on,  this  morning,  and  was  obliged  to  lie  in  my  'dog  tent'  until 
afternoon.  As  I  could  not  stay  in  the  tent  without  continually 
lying  on  the  bunk,  it  was  tedious.  The  rain  and  snow  storm  has 

*Jake  was  my  colored  servant,  and  while  in  a  comfortable  camp,  he  was 
a  very  good  one. 


continued  all  day,  confining  all  the  men  to  their  shelter  tents. 
We  have  no  mail,  no  papers,  no  literature  of  any  kind.  The  men 
beguiled  the  weary  hours,  by  croaking  like  frogs,  quacking  like 
ducks,  and  barking  like  dogs.  I  gave  Jake  a  gold  ''dollar  and 
sent  him  in  quest  of  something  to  eat.  The  base  wretch  has 
deserted  me,  and  'done  gone'  to  Baltimore.  That  is  what  he 
wanted  his  $10  for.  I  got  supper  at  a  house  at  Bristoe  Station. 
Breakfast  and  dinner  I  had  none." 

One  performance  of  our  men  in  these  dismal  rain  storms,  was 
quite  comical.  It  was  called,  "The  bull  frog  of  Bull  Run."  A 
leader  would  shout :  "When  our  army  marched  down  to  Bull 
Run,  what  did  the  big  bull  frog  say?"  Hundreds  of  men  would 
respond  in  deep  bass,  bull  frog  croaks:  "Big  thing!  Big  thing! !" 
Then  the  leader  would  ask,  "When  our  army  came  back 
from  Bull  Run,  what  did  the  little  frogs  say?"  "Run  Yank! 
Run  Yank!!"  would  be  screeched  in  response,  in  excellent 
imitation  of  a  swamp  full  of  frogs.  "What  does  the  bully  Sixth 
say?  "  Again  the  bull  frog  bass  would  respond,  "Hit  'em  again  ! 
Hit  'em  again!!"  Brave  boys!  how  they  contended  against 
adverse  circumstances,  with  their  cheerful  and  courageous  spirit. 

While  near  Bristoe,  we  received  news  of  the  great  battle  of 
Pittsburgh  Landing.  Our  army  was  said  to  have  gained  a 
victory,  after  suffering  a  terrible  loss.  General  King  kindly  gave 
me  the  use  of  the  Government  telegraph,  but  I  was  unable  to 
learn  anything  of  my  brother,  who,  I  knew,  must  have  been  in 
the  engagement.  On  Sunday,  the  13th,  we  marched  from  camp 
near  Bristoe  to  Catletts  Station.  Here  we  enjoyed  the  good 
fortune  of  a  "high,  dry,  and  excellent  camp  ground." 

(Letter.)  ST.  STEPHEN'S  CHAPEL,  VA., 

APRIL  i4th,  1862. 

"Our  troops  are  engaged  in  repairing  railroads,  and  building 
bridges.  We  are  advancing  through  a  beautiful  country,  but, 
deserted  by  its  people,  and  desolated  by  the  armies,  it  seems 
likely  to  become  a  wilderness.  At  present,  my  company,  and 
company  'K,'  are  doing  outpost  duty  under  command  of  Major 
Bragg.  My  own  headquarters  are  at  St.  Stephen's  Chapel,  a 
handsome  little  Episcopal  church,  with  pulpit  and  pews 


40 

uninjured.     It  is  the  most  comfortable  quarters  I  have  had  for  a 
long  time." 

(Journal.)  TUESDAY,  APRIL  lyth,  1862. 

"We  were  relieved  from  picket  duty  by  the  2ist  New  York. 
We  were  sorry  to  go  back  to  camp.  Our  tour  of  duty  at  St. 
Stephen's  Chapel  was  a  picnic." 

General  Augur's  brigade,  of  King's  division,  marched  forward 
to  opposite  Fredericksburgh,  after  some  skirmishing  near 
Falmouth,  and  on  Monday,  the  2ist  of  April,  our  brigade 
marched  from  Catletts  Station  towards  Fredericksburgh.  In 
accordance  with  our  customary  fate,  a  severe  rain  storm  prevailed 
all  day.  The  creeks  were  overflowing,  and  we  were  so  delayed 
at  the  crossings,  that  we  made  only  six  miles.  The  brigade 
bivouacked  for  the  night  in  a  muddy  field.  The  men  were  wet, 
wood  scarce  and  wet,  mud  deep,  air  chilly,  and  everything  in  a 
forlorn  condition.  As  a  remedy,  a  heavy  whiskey  ration  was 
issued.  It  was  the  first  experiment  of  the  kind  in  the  history  of 
our  regiment,  and  it  proved  a  miserable  failure.  There  were 
many  who  would  not  drink  their  liquor  at  all,  and  others,  as  a 
result,  obtained  a  double  or  triple  portion.  My  journal  says: 
"A  thousand  drunken  men  in  the  brigade,  made  a  pandemonium 
of  the  camp  all  night." 

We  reached  Falmouth  opposite  Fredericksburgh  at  four  o'clock 
on  Wednesday,  April  23rd.  Our  hearts  were  made  glad  by 
finding  our  mail  waiting  for  us.  I  heard  fully  from  my  brother 
that  he  was  engaged  in  the  bloody  battles  of  April  6th  and  yth, 
at  Shiloh,  and  in  the  skirmish  of  the  morning  of  the  8th,  at 
Fallen  Timber.  He  had  escaped  without  injury,  though  fighting 
with  a  courage  and  valor  honorable  to  himself,  and  gratifying  to 
his  friends,  as  he  was  placed  under  very  trying  circumstances. 

(Letter.)  CAMP  OPPOSITE  FREDERICKSBURGH, 

APRIL  26th,  1862. 

"We  are  now  encamped  on  the  heights  north  of  the 
Rappahannock  river,  opposite  Fredericksburgh,  which  is  an  old 
fashioned,  compactly  built,  little  city,  situated  in  a  beautiful 
valley.  Our  troops  do  not  occupy  the  town,  but,  as  the  hills 
north  of  the  river  are  high,  our  batteries  command  it.  Above 
the  town,  the  river  is  full  of  rapids,  but  vessels  come  up  to  the 


41 

town,  and  a  U.  S.  gun  boat  was  here  yesterday.  We  hope  to 
push  on  toward  Richmond  and  join  McClellan's  army.  Our 
camps  are  now  flooded  with  negroes,  with  packs  on  their  backs, 
and  bound  tor  freedom.  No  system  of  abolition  could  have 
swept  the  system  away  more  effectually  than  does  the  advance  of 
our  army.  Behind  us  the  slaves,  if  they  choose,  are  free.  All 
civil  authority  is  gone."  Our  military  authorities  refused  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  the  negroes.  But  with  the  sympathy  and 
active  assistance  of  the  soldiers,  the  poor  slaves  were  breaking 
their  fetters  in  spite  of  their  masters.  Some  men  in  one  of  our 
New  York  regiments,  so  roughly  handled  a  slave  owner,  who  was 
trying  to  recapture  his  slave  in  camp,  that  the  provost  guard 
interfered  to  protect  him,  but  not  to  catch  the  slave.  Meanwhile 
the  slave  made  good  his  title  to  liberty,  by  taking  refuge  with 
the  soldiers.  I  wrote  from  this  camp  :  "So  far  the  slave  holders 
have  vainly  called  upon  our  military  authorities,  for  assistance  in 
returning  fugitives.  Thus  the  great  question  of  liberty  is 
working  its  own  solution.  The  right  must,  and  surely  will, 
triumph  in  the  end.  Let  us  thank  God,  and  take  courage." 


III. 

Fac-Simile  Confederate  Currency— A.  Remarkable  Bridge- 
Advent  of  Gen.  John  Gibbon— Extra  Clothing— Still  "  Spoil 
ing-  for  a  .Pig-Tit" — feathers,  .Leergring-s  and  White  Gloves  — 
President  Lincoln  Visits  us— "On  to  Richmond"— Stonewall 
Jackson  in  the  Valley — We  Pursue  Jackson — ISTis  men  Carry 
"a  Hundred  Rounds  and  a  gum  Blanket,"  Ours  Carry 
"Saratoga  Trunks"— "You  uns  is  Pack  Mules,  we  uns  is  Race 
Horses"— Overcoats  and  Knapsacks  Flung  Aw ay— Celerity  of 
Jackson  vs.  Ponderosity  of  M eOowell— Up  the  Kill  and  .Down 
Again— We  Attend  Church  in  Fredericksburgh—Mink  Teaches 
School— A.  Very  Pretty  Fight  of  my  own— Win  by  a  Scratch  and 
am  Appointed  Major — Frank  A.  Haskell — .Advent  of  General 
Pope— Prejudice  Against  McDowell— A  Mule  Race— Pope's 
Proclamation  not  Well  Received— A  Raid  Toward  Orange  C.  H. 
—By  Help  of  a  Slave,  I  Capture  a  Confederate  Officer— "Its 
the  Lord's  Will  That  the  Colored  People  Help  you  uns"— 
Impending  Battles— The  Fredericks  flail  Raid— To  Cedar 
Mountain— He  "Done  got  out"— William  Jackson— Retreat 
Before  General  Lee— First  Experiences  under  Fire— To 
Warrenton—To  Warrenton  Sulphur  Springs— Again  Under 
Fire— Stonewall  Jackson  in  our  Rear— Back  Toward  Centre- 
ville— Can't  Stop  to  eat— Battle  of  Gainesville— Corps  Com 
mander  "Lost  in  the  Woods''—^.  Midnight  Retreat— Some 
Comments  on  Gainesville — Sound  of  Battle  on  the  Bull  Run 
Field— Fitz  John  Porter's  Corps  Marches  by— We  March  to  the 
Field  of  Battle— Clouds  of  Dust  Interpreted  as  a  Retreat  of 
the  Enemy— Battle  of  Bull  Run  Second— Midnight  Visit  From 
General  Kearney  and  Retreat— Death  on  Picket  Duty— 
Chantilly—To  Upton's  Hill— Joy  at  the  Announcement  That 
McClellan  is  in  Command— Colonel  Bragg's  Manly  and 
Patriotic  Political  Stand— Colonel  Cutler  Pays  his  Respects  to 
Mr.  Stanton. 

SATURDAY,  APRIL  26th,  1862. 

"Some  men  in  our  brigade  bought  to-day  of  citizens,  large 
amounts  of  tobacco  and  other  goods,  with  fac-simile  confederate 
currency.  The  people  refused  United  States  treasury  notes 
when  offered,  but  sought  this  bogus  confederate  money  with 
avidity.  Indeed,  I  think  myself,  it  looks  a  little  better  than  the 
original  rebel  money.  An  order  was  issued  to-day,  forbidding 
this  kind  of  swindling." 

On  Sunday,  we  marched  out  four  miles,  on  the  line  of 
the  Acquia  Creek  Railroad.  Here  we  were  engaged  in 
building  a  great  pole  trestle  bridge  over  Potomac  creek. 


43 

The  work  was  under  direction  of  Herman  Haupt,  a  vol 
unteer  engineer  officer  on  the  staff  of  General  McDowell,  and 
the  bridge  was  considered  a  triumph  of  military  engineering.  I 
quote  from  General  Andrew  Hickenlooper,  a  description  of  this 
bridge.  He  says:  "It  was  five  hundred  feet  in  length,  and 
eighty  feet  in  height,  composed  of  unhewn  trees  and  saplings, 
cut  in  the  adjoining  woods  and  placed  in  position  by  the  troops 
of  General  McDowell's  command.  So  rapidly  was  the  work 
executed  that  the  whole  was  completed  within  a  period  of  nine 
days,  which,  allowing  twelve  working  hours  a  day,  required  the 
placing  in  position  of  five  hundred  pieces  of  timber  every  hour. 
And  so  well  was  the  work  done  that  for  several  years  it  carried 
in  safety  from  ten  to  fifteen  heavy  trains  per  day  and  resisted  the 
destructive  influence  of  several  devastating  floods."  Lieutenant 
D.  L,.  Quaw  was  in  command  of  a  large  force  getting  out  this 
bridge  timber.  Lieutenant  Clayton  K.  Rogers  was  also  doing 
work  with  his  accustomed  vim,  having  a  large  band  of  choppers. 
After  this  service,  we  again  encamped  opposite  Fredericksburgh. 
No  event  worthy  of  mention  transpired  until  Thursday,  May  8th, 
when  Brigadier  General  John  Gibbon  took  command  of  our 
brigade  and  Colonel  Cutler  returned  to  the  command  of  the 
regiment.  General  Gibbon  graduated  from  West  Point  in  1847. 
In  1854  he  was  at  West  Point  as  Assistant  Instructor  of  Artillery, 
which  shows  that  he  was  considered,  even  then,  master  of  his 
profession.  The  "Artillerists  Manual,"  published  in  New  York 
in  1859,  was  from  his  pen  and  was  considered  an  extremely  useful 
work.  He  was  Captain  of  Battery  "B"  4th  U.  S.  Artillery  in  the 
regular  service.  He  soon  manifested  superior  qualities  as  a 
brigade  commander.  Thoroughly  educated  in  the  military  profes 
sion,  he  had  also  high  personal  qualifications  to  exercise  com 
mand.  He  was  anxious  that  his  brigade  should  excel  in  every 
way,  and  while  he  was  an  exacting  disciplinarian  he  had  the  good 
sense  to  recognize  merit  where  it  existed.  His  administration  of 
the  command  left  a  lasting  impression  for  good  upon  the  character 
and  military  tone  of  the  brigade,  and  his  splendid  personal 
bravery  upon  the  field  of  battle  was  an  inspiration.  The  brigade 
was  now  known  as  "Gibbon's  brigade." 

We  were  ordered  to  procure  an  entire  outfit  of  new  hats  and  a 


44 

supply  of  clothing.  There  was  complaint  on  the  part  of  the 
men  at  being  obliged  to  draw  overcoats  at  the  beginning  of  sum 
mer  in  a  hot  climate. 

On  the  evening  of  the  loth  of  May,  there  was  an  alarm  over 
the  river  beyond  Fredericksburgh.  The  men  received  the 
announcement  that  they  would  probably  be  needed  for  a  fight 
with  a  tremendous  shout.  They  said  "a  year's  fight  was  bottled 
up  in  them  and  it  was  spoiling  to  come  out."  It  transpired) 
however,  that  there  were  not  enough  rebels  in  the  vicinity  to 
accommodate  our  men  with  the  desired  fight. 

We  now  had  a  large  force  of  men  engaged  upon  the  timber 
work  of  the  railroad  bridge  across  the  Rappahannock  river.  This 
bridge  was  of  the  same  character  as  that  of  the  Potomac  Creek, 
and  it  was.  six  hundred  feet  in  length  by  sixty -five  in  height. 

Meanwhile  General  McClellan's  army  was  pressing  on  toward 
Richmond.  A  strong  feeling  possessed  us  that  we  were  to  be  a 
mere  side  show  while  others  performed  the  real  acts  of  war.  We 
had  now  been  nearly  a  year  in  active  service  and  could  boast  only 
of  the  inglorious  battle  at  Patterson  Park.  This  circumstance  is 
the  more  notable,  since  statistics  show  that,  when  the  war  was 
ended,  our  brigade  had  lost  more  men  killed  in  battle  than  any 
other  brigade  in  the  whole  army  of  the  Union. 

About  this  time  I  visited  in  the  cemetery  at  Fredericksburgh, 
the  tomb  of  Mary,  the  mother  of  Washington.  The  rebel 
soldiers,  who  had  been  encamped  in  this  vicinity,  had  set  targets 
against  this  sacred  monument  and  it  was  shamefully  defaced  by 
bullets  fired  against  it. 

On  Saturday,  May  lyth,  the  regiment  was  fully  supplied  with 
white  leggings,  black  felt  hats  adorned  with  feathers,  and  white 
cotton  gloves.  These  decorations  were  received  with  the 
greatest  merriment,  but  we  all  felt  proud  of  the  fine  appearance 
of  the  battalion.  My  journal  says :  "General  Gibbon  attended 
our  dress  parade  to-day,  and  the  regiment  was  in  'fine  feather.'  " 
The  next  day,  a  gay  looking  young  rebel  Captain  came  in  with 
a  flag  of  truce.  The  men,  delighted  to  see  a  live  rebel,  flocked 
around  him  by  hundreds.  On  the  igth  of  May,  the  great 
railroad  bridge  across  the  Rappahannock  was  completed,  and  a 
locomotive  passed  over  into  Fredericksburgh. 


45 

It  is  worthy  of  record,  that  on  our  pay-day,  the  men  of  my 
company,  "K,"  sent  home  in  various  small  sums  to  their  families 
and  friends,  over  $800,  nearly  one  half  of  the  entire  pay 
received.  General  Shield's  division  joined  us  on  the  23rd  of 
May,  and  on  this  day  President  Abraham  Lincoln  and  the 
Secretary  of  War,  Edwin  M.  Stanton,  were  present  at  a  review 
of  our  brigade.  On  Saturday,  May  24th,  the  journal  says  :  "The 
soldiers  of  Shield's  division  have  christened  us  the  'bandbox 
brigade.'  Our  boys  retort  that  they  would  rather  wear  leggings 
than  be  lousy.  Shield's  division  are  the  dirtiest  ragamuffins  we 
have  yet  seen  in  the  service."  At  this  time  General  McDowell, 
himself  a  precise  and  exacting  soldier,  said  of  our  brigade : 
"Many  times  I  have  shown  them  to  foreign  officers  of  distinction, 
as  specimens  of  American  Volunteer  soldiers,  and  asked  them 
if  they  had  ever  anywhere  seen  even  among  the  picked  soldiers 
of  royal  and  imperial  guards,  a  more  splendid  body  of  men,  and 
I  have  never  had  an  affirmative  answer."  The  brigade  was  not 
excelled  in  the  precision  and  accuracy  of  their  movement  by  any 
other  body  of  troops  I  have  ever  seen,  not  excepting  the  cadets 
at  West  Point.  Beyond  a  doubt,  it  was  this  year  of  preparation 
that  brought  the  "Iron  Brigade"  to  its  high  standard  of  efficiency 
for  battle  service. 

The  next  day  we  had  marching  orders,  and  to  the  great  joy  of 
the  men,  we  moved  toward  Richmond.  The  men  said:  "As 
soon  as  old  Abe  saw  our  brigade,  he  knew  it  could  take 
Richmond,  and  he  has  sent  us  to  do  it."  But  we  marched  only 
eight  miles  south  of  Fredericksburgh,  and  encamped  for  several 
days  in  the  woods.  We  here  received  news  of  the  disastrous 
retreat  of  General  Banks  in  the  Shenandoah  valley,  before  the 
swift  advance  of  Stonewall  Jackson. 

The  next  two  weeks  journal,  is  the  record  of  experiences  on  a 
wild  goose  chase  by  McDowell's  corps,  after  Stonewall  Jackson, 
who  was  in  the  Shenandoah  valley. 

THURSDAY,  MAY  29th,  1862. 

"We  marched  at  ten  A.  M.,  northward,  and  camped  for  the 
night,  six  miles  north  of  Fredericksburgh,  on  the  road  to  Catletts 
Station.  It  was  a  hard  tramp.  Sixty  pounds  is  an  awful  load 
for  a  man  to  carry  on  a  hot  summer  day." 


46 

FRIDAY,  MAY  3oth,  1862.* 

"We  marched  at  8:30  A.  M.  The  weather  was  hot  and  sultry. 
One  hundred  and  fifty  men  fell  out  of  the  ranks  exhausted,  on 
the  march  to-day.  It  rained  in  the  afternoon.  We  camped  six 
miles  from  Catletts  Station.  It  was  one  of  the  hardest  marches 
the  regiment  ever  had.  Twenty  miles  was  the  distance  marched." 

A  few  weeks  later  (Fredericks  Hall  raid)  upon  an  equally 
sultry  day,  our  regiment  inarched  thirty-five  miles  without 
knapsacks.  The  men  were  here  absurdly  over  burdened.  They 
had  been  required  to  carry  each  an  overcoat,  an  extra  pair  of 
shoes,  and  an  extra  pair  of  pants.  These  superfluous  articles, 
added  to  the  necessary  hundred  rounds  of  ball  cartridges,  shelter 
tent,  gum  and  woolen  blankets,  haversack  full  of  rations, 
canteen  full  of  water,  musket  and  accoutrements,  wrere  a  load 
beyond  the  strength  of  ordinary  men.  Our  young  boys  were 
broken  down  by  the  needless  overtaxing  of  their  strength.  I 
can  not  say  who  was  responsible  for  such  management.  I  know, 
however,  that  General  McDowell,  whether  justly  or  unjustly, 
was  thoroughly  cursed  for  it.  Vast  numbers  of  new  overcoats, 
and  many  knapsacks  were  flung  away  by  the  exhausted  men  on 
this  march.  The  men  said  they  were  "issuing  overcoats  to  the 
rebel  cavalry,"  and  it  is  very  likely  that  they  were.  I  know 
well  the 'weight  of  those  monstrous  knapsacks  from  personal 
experience.  Many  a  mile  I  carried  a  knapsack  on  my  shoulders 
to  aid  the  tired  and  weak  of  my  company.  I  well  remember 
seeing  strong  men  carrying  two  knapsacks,  and  sometimes  stout 
Abe  Fletcher  loaded  up  with  three,  to  help  the  "little  fellows"f 
along.  At  Gettysburg,  this  kind  hearted  man  fell  dead  at  the 
front  of  battle.  But  the  smallest  man  in  the  company  was  a 

*See  pages  309—310,  Volume  12,  Part  III,  War  Records,  for  strength 
and  composition  of  McDowell's  corps  on  May  31st.  1862.  Present  for  duty 
in  the  corps,  officers,  2,023,  men,  42,422.  In  King's  division,  officers,  466, 
men,  8,560. 

tThe  "little  fellows"  of  Company  "K"  were  Silas  W.  Temple,  John  R. 
Towle,  Charles  M.  Taylor,  George  E.  Chamberlain,  Cassias  Griggs  and 
Aaron  Yates.  They  were  young,  slight,  round  cheeked  boys,  who  endured 
their  hardships  with  ,a  cheerful  patience  that  won  us  all.  The  leather 
straps  cat  their  shoulders,  and  the  weight  was  too  heavy  under  the  hot 
sun,  and  pressed  upon  their  lungs.  They  were  not  fitted  to  become  beasts 
of  burden,  nor  were  they  thus  rendering  the  cause  a  useful  service. 


47 

marvel.  He  was  a  diminutive  Irishman,  named  Hugh  Talty. 
In  recognition  of  his  shortness  he  was  called  "Tall  T."  He 
would  often  carry  an  extra  knapsack  for  the  "little  fellows."  In 
the  distribution  of  new  clothing,  there  was  a  difficulty  in  properly 
"sizing  up"  the  company.  "Tall  T"  was  under  the  smallest 
size  contemplated  in  the  Regulations,  and  he  could  never  be 
fitted.  Poor  "Tall  T"  sometimes  had  pantaloons  that  would 
almost  button  around  his  neck.  I  gave  this  matter  particular 
attention.  "Who's  your  tailor,  'TallT?'"  once  shouted  a  man 
as  we  marched.  "The  captain,  be  gob,"  came  back  like  a  flash 
from  "Tall  T." 

There  was  another  little  Irishman  in  the  company  whom  we 
called  "Mickey,"  (James  P.  Sullivan.)  For  genuine  sallies  of 
humor  at  unexpected  times,  I  have  never  seen  his  equal.  He 
was  a  heroic  soldier,  and  he  was  shot  and  severely  wounded, 
three  different  times  in  battle.  "Micky"  and  "Tall  T"  were  both 
shot,  and  laid  in  the  same  hospital  together  at  Gettysburg. 
They  softened  the  sufferings  of  many  by  their  unconquerable  good 
humor  and  genuine  wit.  Such  men  are  of  priceless  value  in 
an  army. 

The  most  caustic  comment  I  can  make  on  this  campaign,  is  to 
quote  the  remarks  of  a  deserter  from  Stonewall  Jackson's  army, 
who  came  to  us  at  some  time  during  the  marching.  He  said, 
"You  uns  is  pack  mules,  we  uns  is  race  horses."  "All  old 
Jackson  gave  us,  was  a  musket,  a  hundred  rounds  and  a  gum 
blanket,  and  he  'druv  us  so  like  hell,'  that  I  could  not  stand  it  on 
parched  corn."  Another  saying  of  some  Johnny  from  Jackson's 
corps  was  quoted  then.  He  said:  "We  uns  durst  leave  our 
mammy.  You  uns  is  tied  to  granny  Lincoln's  apron  string." 

Our  men  called  their  knapsacks,  "Saratoga  trunks."  The 
weary  details  of  the  hot  and  dusty  tramp  need  not  be  repeated. 
We  marched  from  Fredericksburgh  to  Warrenton,  and  then  from 
Warrenton  to  Fredericksburgh,  opposite  which  city  we  were 
again  encamped  on  June  loth,  1862.  With  Jackson,  celerity 
was  success.  With  us,  ponderosity  was  military  science. 

The  most  pleasant  incident  of  the  expedition,  was  our  camp, 
in  a  beautiful  grove  near  the  village  of  Warrenton,  which  is 
delightfully  situated,  overlooking  an  extensive  mountain 


48 

landscape.  Here  we  enjoyed  a  luxury,  not  common  in  that 
region,  good,  pure  water.  Some  of  the  first  families  of  Virginia, 
made  their  homes  here,  but  we  found  the  first  people  particularly 
bitter  in  their  hostility. 

It  was  my  custom  to  attend  church  with  my  company,  while 
we  were  in  camp  near  Fredericksburgh.  On  Sunday,  June  i5th, 
I  attended  tlie  Episcopal  church  with  fifty  men.  The  men 
enjoyed  attending  church,  as  it  seemed  homelike.  We  were 
kindly  received,  and  made  welcome  by  the  minister,  but  so  much 
can  not  be  said  for  the  people. 

In  the  camp  near  Fredericksburgh,  our  enlisted  men  had  their 
brasses  scoured,  guns  wiped,  white  gloves  washed,  and  shoes 
blacked  by  the  contrabands  who  swarmed  about  them.  How 
these  people  lived  being  a  mystery  to  me,  I  one  day  cornered  a 
very  black,  but  quick  witted  little  imp,  called  "Mink."  "Mink," 
said  I,  "where  did  you  come  from?"  "Bides  hole,  sah!"  (Boyd's 
Hole,  below  Fredericksburgh.)  "What  do  you  eat?"  "I  picks 
up  a  bone,  sah!"  "Where  do  you  sleep?"  "I  sleeps  under  a 
leaf,  sah!"  "What  do  you  do?"  "I  teaches  school,  sah!"  Sure 
enough,  investigation  proved  that  this  little  black  "Mink"  was 
teaching  a  class  of  other  contrabands  their  letters,  which  he  had 
already  quickly  learned  himself.  As  "Mink"  explained  matters 
to  me,  our  colored  barber,  who  came  with  us  from  Wisconsin, 
"done  bossed  the  school,"  but  the  colored  barber  himself  could 
not  read.  He  was  only  useful  in  keeping  order. 

(Journal.)  SATURDAY,  JUNE  i4th,  1862. 

"Served  to-day  on  a  board  of  survey  with  lieutenant 
Colonel  Lucius  Fairchild,  2nd  Wisconsin,  and  Captain  Linsley, 
1 9th  Indiana.  We  condemned  a  large  amount  of  wormy 
hard-tack.  There  seems  to  be  some  chance  of  our  going  to 
Richmond  yet." 

SUNDAY,  JUNE  isth,  1862. 

"I  marched  eighty  men  of  my  company  to  church  in 
Fredericksburgh.  We  went  to  the  Episcopal  church.  We  were 
made  to  feel  at  home.  Requested  Colonel  Cutler  to  settle 
definitely  the  question  of  seniority  among  captains." 

There  were  four  of  the  original  captains  remaining  on  the 
rolls  who  had  been  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  on  the 


49 

same  day,  July  i6th,  1861.  There  still  remained  an  unsettled 
question  as  to  their  relative  rank. 

(Journal.)  MONDAY,  JUNK  i6th,  1862. 

"Colonel  Cutler  ordered  the  seniority  question  settled  by  lot. 
Captains  Dill,  Hooe,  Hauser  and  I  repaired  to  the  Colonel's 
headquarters.  The  Colonel  put  four  scraps  of  paper  into  his 
hat,  marked  severally  i,  2,  3,  and  4.  The  drawing  resulted: 
Dawes,  i;  Hooe,  2;  Hauser,  3;  Dill,  4.  Much  favored  by  fortune. 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Sweet  sent  in  his  resignation  to-day.  Now 
comes  a  tug  of  war.  Colonel  Cutler  wants  Haskell  appointed 
Major." 

TUESDAY,  JUNK  lyth,  1862. 

"Colonel  Cutler  has  asked  an  expression  of  the  officers  for 

Major.     A   caucus   called    for   to-night.     deserts   me    and 

works  for  Haskell.  O,  treachery !  Was  appointed  officer  of  the 
brigade  guard,  and  did  not  attend  the  caucus.  Final  vote: 
Haskell,  thirteen,  Dawes,  fourteen." 

WEDNESDAY,  JUNE  i8th,  1862. 

"A  very  exciting  day  in  the  regiment.  No  report  made  of  the 
caucus.  It  did  not  come  out  right.  Captain  Brown  battles  for 
me  like  a  hero.  Haskell  told  me  he  should  get  the  appointment 
if  he  could.  I  told  him,  I  should  do  the  same,  as  it  was  my 
right  in  order  of  rank,  and  wre  shook  hands  over  it.  Sent  my 
papers  to  Bill  Vilas.  He  will  give  them  a  hustle  if  he  gets  the 
papers  in  time.  Major  Bragg  works  hard  for  me.  He  says, 
'this  attempt  to  dragoon  the  officers  into  over-riding  the  rights  of 
captains,  will  not  win.'" 

FRIDAY,  JUNE  2oth,  1862. 

"Colonel  Cutler,  General  Gibbon,  General  King,  and,  I  suppose, 
all  Madison,  Wisconsin,  recommend  Haskell.  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Sweet,  Major  Bragg,  seven  Captains,  fourteen 
Lieutenants,  and  three  regimental  staff  officers  recommend  my 
appointment.  signed  a  private  recommendation  for  me.* 


* was  trying  to  carry  water  on  both  shoulders,  and  as  usual  in 

such  cases,  it  tipped  over  and  spilled  upon  him.  Colonel  Cutler  was 
an  able  commander,  but  not  a  good  politician.  It  was  a  blunder  to  ask  for 
an  expression  of  preference  by  the  officers,  especially  when  he  was  already 
supported  by  the  solid  line  of  Brigadier  Generals. 


50 

SUNDAY,  JUNK  22nd,  1862. 

"I  attended  the  Episcopal  church  with  my  company.  Private 
Hoel  Trumbull  ran  away  from  us,  but  was  caught  and  locked  up 
in  the  guard  house.  He  spent  a  season  in  meditation.  He 
thinks,  on  the  whole,  the  church  would  have  been  the  lesser  evil. 
Colonel  Sweet  has  received  notice  of  the  acceptance  of  his 
resignation." 

(Letter.)  CAMP  OPPOSITE  FRKDERICKSBURGH, 

JULY  ist,  1862. 

"For  a  week  I  have  been  fighting  a  bilious  fever,  but  now  have 
the  mastery  and  am  rapidly  recovering.  I  have  also  won  another 
victory  which  will  please  you.  I  have  received  a  commission  as 
major  and  am  no  more  a  captain.  I  sent  my  papers  for  presenta 
tion  to  the  Governor  of  Wisconsin  (Edward  Salomon)  to  my 
friend,  William  F.  Vilas,  at  Madison.  Vilas  writes  that  he  called 
at  the  Governor's  office  and  sent  in  word  that  he  wished  to  see 
him  in  connection  with  the  majorship  of  the  Sixth  regiment." 

"The  Governor  came  to  the  door  and  said :  'Mr.  Vilas,  I  do  not 
wish  to  hear  anything  more  upon  that  subject.  The  friends  of 
Mr.  Haskell  have'  already  harassed  me  beyond  my  patience.  I 
shall  make  no  appointment  until  I  hear  more  fully  from  the 
regiment.' 

'Oh!  but/  says  I,  'I  happen  to  be  on  the  other  side  of  that 
question.'  'Walk  right  in  Mr.  Vilas,'  says  he,  'I  am  glad  to  see 
you'.  I  went  in  and  presented  your  case  the  best  I  could,  and 
have  since  learned  with  great  pleasure  that  your  commission  has 
been  issued.  Accept  of  my  dexter  in  token  of  heartiest  congrat 
ulation." 

"This  promotion  comes  very  fortunately  just  before  active 
operations  against  the  enemy,  which  I  doubt  not  will  soon  take 
place,  since  Gen.  Pope  has  been  sent  to  command  our  army." 

When  Colonel  Cutler  assumed  command  of  the  brigade, 
Haskell  went  upon  his  staff.  It  was  an  unfortunate  step,  as  it 
put  entirely  out  of  the  line  of  promotion  one  of  the  finest  officers 
Wisconsin  sent  to  the  war.  General  Gibbon,  who  was  intimately 
associated  with  him,  has  said  that  Haskell  "was  better  qualified 
to  command  an  army  corps  than  many  who  enjoyed  that  honor." 
He  continued  to  serve  on  staff  duty  until  1864  when  he  was 


51 

appointed  Colonel  of  the  36th  Wisconsin.  He  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  while  exposing  his  own  life  to  encourage 
his  regiment  to  attack  the  enemy's  works. 

"We  hail  the  coming  of  General  Pope  with  much  satisfaction. 
There  is  a  strong  feeling  among  the  soldiers  against  McDowell. 
He  is  considered  incompetent,  if  not  disloyal."  This  harsh 
opinion  of  General  McDowell  is  only  suffered  to  appear  as  a 
moderate  expression  of  the  prejudice  existing  at  that  time  among 
our  officers  and  men  against  him.  This  whole  question  was 
considered  in  the  McDowell  Court  of  inquiry;  and  I  make  no 
effort  to  explain  the  cause. 

July  4th  was  celebrated  with  festivities  and  merry-making. 
Gibbon's  brigade  gathered  upon  a  large  plain,  where  there  was 
horse  racing,  foot  racing,  and  other  amusements  and  athletic  ex 
ercises.  There  was  a  great  mule  race,  a  sack  race,  and  a  greased 
pig.  Wagon  master,  William  Sears,  of  our  regiment,  won  the 
mule  race.  The  prize  in  this  case  was  for  the  mule  that  got 
through  last.  Each  rider  accordingly  whipped  another's  mule, 
holding  back  his  own.  Sears  rode  a  balky  mule  which  would 
go  backward  whenever  whipped.  Captain  Hollon  Richardson,  of 
the  seventh  Wisconsin,  won  the  foot  race. 

NEAR  FREDERICKSBURGH,  JULY  loth,  1862. 

"I  am  not  near  Richmond,  nor  likely  to  be.  General  Pope 
is  charged  with  the  same  old  duty  of  guarding  Washington.  So 
unless  the  rebels  move  on  Washington,  our  future  presents  a 
peaceful  aspect." 

CAMP  OPPOSITE  FREDERICKSBURGH,  JULY  i8th,  1862. 

"General  Pope's  bombastic  proclamation  has  not  tended  to 
increase  confidence,  indeed  the  effect  is  exactly  the  contrary. 
(Pope's  celebrated  order,  concerning  Lines  of  Retreat,  and  Bases 
of  Supply,  is  Ijere  referred  to.)  For  the  present,  I  do  not 
anticipate  that  we  will  move  from  Fredericksburgh.  Should 
Stonewall  Jackson  make  another  raid,  we  will  likely  take  the 
same  tramp  in  pursuit  of  him.  King's  division  with  some 
detachments  under  General  Doubleday,  are  now  the  only  troops 
here.  I  think  General  Pope  does  not  reinforce  us  here,  for  fear 
of  General  Jackson  in  the  valley.  Of  course  we  feel  eager  to  be 
something  more  than  ornamental  file-closers.  Our  regiment  has 


52 

been  more  than  a  year  in  the  service ;  and  in  soldierly  bearing, 
perfection  in  drill,  and  discipline,  we  do  not  yield  the  palm  to  the 
regulars  in  any  service." 

CAMP  OPPOSITE  FREDERICKSBURGH,  JULY  28th,  1862. 

"We  have  just  got  back  after  a  dash  toward  Orange  Court 
House.  This  is  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  policy  of  our  new 
commander,  General  Pope.  Our  boys  are  growing  enthusiastic 
in  the  prospect  of  a  general  who  has  a  little  life.  We  left  camp 
by  order  of  General  Pope,  on  July  25th,  and  marched  fifteen 
miles  on  the  Gordonsville  plank  road,  to  a  point  where  the  road 
forks.  We  remained  in  this  position,  while  other  troops  made  a 
raid  within  five  miles  of  Gordonsville.  The  rebels  are 
concentrating  in  some  force  at  that  point,  and  I  think  General 
Pope  will  offer  battle.  If  the  forces  are  nearly  matched,  we  will 
defeat  them.  I  judge  of  the  Southern  army  by  the  character  of 
the  prisoners  we  have  taken,  and  our  division  is  superior  to  such 
troops.  When  we  were  at  the  front,  an  old  negro  slave  came  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  to  our  picket  line.  He  said  that  "Massa 
Bullock,"  a  Lieutenant  in  the  rebel  army,  was  in  a  house,  a  mile 
away.  I  took  forty  men,  surrounded  the  house,  and  captured 
him.  He  was  a  fine  young  scion  of  a  first  family  of  Virginia. 
He  was  not  in  uniform,  and  he  denied  my  right  to  take  him  as  a 
soldier.  When  the  darky  identified  him,  he  asked  me  if  I  would 
'take  the  word  of  a  nigger.'?  But  when  I  proposed  that  he  take 
the  oath  of  allegiance,*  he  said  that  I  might  take  a  horse  to  water, 
but  I  could  not  make  him  drink.  So  I  brought  the  gentleman  in 
as  a  prisoner  of  war.  General  Pope's  orders  are  carried  out  in 
good  faith,  and,  so  far  as  I  know,  no  abuse  has  been  perpetrated."f 

The  colored  man  who  came  to  our  picket  line  was  very  old. 
I  felt  suspicious  of  a  trap,  and  questioned  him  closely  as  to  his 
motives  in  making  such  disclosures.  He  said  "Fore  God,  Massa, 
we  knows  you  uns  is  our  friends.  Its  the  Lord's  will,  that  the 
colored  folks  help  you  uns."  I  told  him  that  if  he  led  us  into 
an  ambush,  he  would  certainly  be  the  first  one  killed;  but 
he  led  the  way,  audibly  praying  God  to  sustain  him. 

*See    Volume    XII,    Part  1,  Page  271,   War  Records,  as  to  oaths  of 
allegiance. 
tReference  to  orders  concerning  foraging. 


53 

From  the  consolidated  morning  report  of  Major  General  Pope, 
July  3ist,  1862,  the  number  of  men  present  for  duty,  in  the 
ranks  of  Gibbon's  brigade  was  40  companies,  2,664  men.  To 
this  must  be  added  at  least  1 50  for  commissioned  officers,  making 
a  total  of  about  2,800  for  duty  in  the  brigade.  This  was  just 
before  engaging  in  the  hard  and  bloody  campaign  of  forty-five 
days,  covering  the  battles  of  Gainesville  and  Bull  Run  Second, 
under  General  Pope,  and  the  battles  of  South  Mountain  and 
Antietam,  in  the  Maryland  campaign.  In  these  operations, 
Gibbon's  brigade  suffered  a  loss  of  1,592  men  killed  or  wounded, 
and  by  its  heroic  conduct,  acquired  the  historic  title  of  the  "Iron 
Brigade;"  by  whom  first  applied,  I  do  not  know. 
THE  FREDERICKS  HAI.L  RAID. 

The  regiment  left  camp  opposite  Fredericksburgh,  at  2  o'clock, 
on  the  morning  of  August  5th,  1862,  as  a  part  of  an  expedition 
intended  to  cut  the  Virginia  Central  Railroad.  General  Gibbon 
was  in  command  of  the  force  sent  forward  for  this  purpose.  He 
divided  his  force,  placing  Colonel  Cutler  in  command  of  about 
one  thousand  men.*  The  troops  were  without  knapsacks,  and 
stripped  for  a  race.  Colonel  Cutler  marched  by  the  Orange  plank 
road  for  several  miles,  and  then  turned  south,  passing  by  a 
narrow  road  through  Spottsylvania  Court  House.  Cutler's  flying 
column  marched  thirty-five  miles  on  this  day,  one  of  the  very 
hottest  of  the  summer.  General  Gibbon's  force  (about  3,000 
men)  marched  on  the  Telegraph  road,  running  south  from 
Fredericksburgh.  They  accomplished  fifteen  miles.  He 
discovered  that  the  rebel  General,  J.  K.  B.  Stuart,  was  advancing 
by  the  Bowling  Green  road  on  his  left,  with  a  strong  force.  All 
possibility  of  General  Gibbon's  force  surprising  the  enemy  was 
gone,  and  he  moved  his  troops  over  to  the  Spottsylvania  road,  to 
cover  the  retreat  of  Colonel  Cutler's  detachment.  Unconscious 
of  the  happenings  narrated,  our  column  had  reached  a  place 
called  Mount  Pleasant,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles  from  the 
railroad.  Here,  at  eleven,  o'clock  at  night,  a  courier  from 
General  Gibbon,  caught  us  sound  asleep  in  bivouac,  except  the 

*Six  companies  of  the  Ira  Harris  cavalry,  two  guns  of  Gerrish's  (N.  H.) 
battery,  under  Lieutenant  Edgell,  and  650  of  our  best  men  of  the  Sixth 
were  present  in  the  ranks. 


54 

proper  guards.  General  Gibbon  sent  by  his  courier  to  Colonel 
Cutler,  the  facts  of  the  situation,  and  directed  him  to  act 
according  to  his  judgment.  Colonel  Cutler  called  a  midnight 
council  of  the  field  officers.  Besides  the  Commander,  there  were 
present,  Colonel  J.  Mansfield  Davies,  lieutenant  Colonel  Judson 
Kilpatrick,  Major  H.  W.  Davies  of  the  cavalry,  Lieutenant 
Kdgell  of  the  artillery,  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  K.  S.  Bragg  and 
Major  R.  R.  Dawes  of  the  infantry.  Colonel  Cutler  explained 
that  we  were  many  miles  in  advance  of  our  supporting  column, 
and  that  General  Stuart,  with  a  force  estimated  at  five  thousand 
men,  was  behind  us.  Before  us  was  the  North  Anna  river,  an 
unfordable  stream,  with  wooden  bridges  that  could  be  easily 
burned.  Seven  miles  beyond  the  river  was  the  railroad.  The 
main  force  under  General  Gibbon  had  abandoned  the  effort  to 
reach  the  railroad.  The  question  was,  should  we  go  on  and 
attempt  to  destroy  the  railroad  as  originally  proposed,  taking  our 
chances  of  peril  in  front  and  rear,  or  should  we  fall  back  upon 
Gibbon's  force  which  was  waiting  for  us.  Lieutenant  Colonels 
Kilpatrick  and  Bragg,  argued  strongly  in  favor  of  going  on.* 
They  urged  that  this  was  the  safest,  as  well  as  the  most  honorable 
course  and  such  was  the  decision  of  the  council.  At  the  earliest 
dawn,  the  column  started  for  the  railroad.  The  men  were  given 
an  intimation  of  the  situation,  and  told  that  everything  depended 
upon  their  speed.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  foot-sore 
and  weary  men  were  left  at  Carl's  bridge,  over  the  North  Anna, 
under  Captain  P.W.  Plummer,  to  hold  it  for  our  retreat.  When  we 
approached  Fredericks  Hall  station,  Kilpatrick  charged  in  with 
the  cavalry,  and  cut  the  telegraph  wires,  and  picketed  the  roads. 
Lieutenant  Edgell  put  his  guns  in  position  to  cover  the  retreat, 
and  our  men  were  kept  hard  at  work  for  some  time,  destroying 
the  railroad  track,  and  the  torch  was  applied  to  all  Confederate 
Government  and  railroad  property. f  We  then  hurried  back  to 


^Lieutenant  Edward  P.  Brooks,  Acting  Adjutant,  was  present  at  this 
council,  and  he  has  written  of  it,  "Bragg,  Dawes,  and  Kilpatrick  insisted 
on  going  on." 

tBrooks  says:  "Burned  Government  warehouse,  several  thousand 
bushels  of  corn,  fifty  hogsheads  of  tobacco.  Found  ten  barrels  of  peach 
brandy,  and  the  men  took  a  supply  in  their  canteens,  which  refreshed 
them." 


55 

get  across  our  wooden  bridge.  We  made  a  great  march  upon 
that  day.  Private  William  L.  Riley,  of  Company  "I,"  made  the 
following  note  in  his  journal :  "Part  of  the  regiment  left  at  a 
bridge.  The  rest  goes  on  to  Fredericks  Hall  station,  and  returns 
to  Waller's  tavern;  about  forty  miles  accomplished  in  one  day. 
Big  marching  for  infantry"  We  tore  up  about  two  miles  of 
railroad  track,  so  says  Colonel  Cutler.* 

On  the  afternoon  of  August  Qth,  1862,  an  order  was  received 
by  telegraph  directing  that  King's  division  should  join  General 
Pope  at  Cedar  Mountain  which  was  forty-five  miles  distant. 
On  this  day  was  fought  the  bloody  battle  of  Cedar  Mountain 
between  Stonewall  Jackson's  corps  and  our  troops  under  command 
of  General  N.  P.  Banks.  On  the  early  morning  of  August  loth 
we  left  the  old  camp  opposite  Fredericksburgh,  never  to  return. 
The  regiment  marched  twenty-one  miles  that  day  and  on  the 
evening  of  the  nth  arrived  near  the  scene  of  Cedar  Mountain 
battle.  General  Jackson's  army  had  retreated  beyond  the  Rapidan. 
On  this  evening  my  contraband,  whom  I  had  employed  in  place 
of  Jake,  also  deserted  me.  He  smelled  the  battle  from 
afar  and  "done  got  out."  Sergeant  Howard  F.Pruyn  of  company 
"A"  had  in  his  employ  a  bright  little  yellow  boy  who  had 
attracted  my  notice.  The  Sergeant  could  not  keep  a  servant 
while  on  the  march.  I  asked  him  if  he  thought  this  boy  could 
do  my  work.  He  said  he  was  a  good  and  willing  boy,  but  that 
he  did  not  know  anything  and  could  not  do  my  work.  I  was 
not  in  a  position  to  be  exacting,  so  I  took  him  on  trial.  His 
name,  William  Jackson,  will  appear  often  in  the  after  pages.  A 
more  excellent  servant  or  a  more  faithful  friend  than  he  proved 
throughout  the  remainder  of  my  service  in  the  war  could  scarcely 
have  been  found. 

*General  Gibbon  says  in  his  official  report  of  this  affair :  "I  can  not  refer 
in  too  high  terras,  to  the  conduct  of  Colonel  Cutler.  To  his  energy  and 
good  judgment,  seconded  as  he  was  by  his  fine  regiment,  the  success  of 
the  expedition  is  entirely  due."  In  Colonel  Cutler's  official  report,  occur 
these  words :  "I  wish  especially  to  notice  Lieutenant  Colonel  Kilpatrick, 
and  Major  Davies  of  the  cavalry,  and  Major  Dawes  of  the  infantry,  for  the 
prompt  and  efficient  manner,  in  which  they  caused  all  my  orders  to  be 
executed,  also  for  the  very  valuable  suggestions  I  received  from  them." 
See  report  Brigadier  General  Rufus  King,  Page  121,  Volume  XII,  Series  1, 
Official  Records  of  the  War.  Brigadier  General  John  Gibbon,  Page  122, 
Volume  XII,  Series  1,  Official  Records  of  the  War.  Colonel  Lysander 
Cutler,  Page  123,  Volume  XII,  Series  1,  Official  Records  of  the  War. 


56 

We  were  now  encamped  directly  upon  the  battle  ground  of 
Cedar  Mountain,  where  we  remained  for  a  week.  We  were 
obliged  to  bury  many  of  the  rebel  dead  whose  corpses,  left  half 
buried  upon  the  field,  were  intolerable.  This  was  our  first  contact 
with  one  of  the  real  horrors  of  war.  Private  Riley's  journal 
mentions  the  fact  that  while  we  were  in  this  camp,  there  was  a 
roll-call  every  two  hours,  which,  he  says  was  a  "new  wrinkle." 
The  object  was  of  course  to  keep  the  men  at  hand  for  action,  as 
we  were  in  the  presence  of  a  largely  superior  force  of  the  enemy. 
On  the  i  gth  day  of  August,  we  began  our  retreat  before  the 
advancing  army  of  General  Lee.  We  marched  back  fifteen 
miles  toward  the  Rappahannock  and  camped  tjiat  night  five  miles 
from  the  river.  On  the  early  morning  of  August  2oth,  we 
resumed  our  northward  march.  Riley  says  that  his  company  "I," 
under  Captain  Kellogg,  was  sent  to  build  a  bridge  across  the  river 
above  the  railroad  station  and  that  they  worked  all  night,  com 
pleting  their  bridge  at  daylight. 

On  the  2oth  day  of  August,  our  regiment  crossed  the 
Rappahannock,  at  the  crossing  of  the  Orange  and  Alexandria 
Railroad.  We  encamped  a  mile  from  the  bridge.  On  the 
afternoon  of  that  day,  cavalry  of  the  enemy  appeared  on  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  river.  By  the  clouds  of  dust  rising  on  all 
the  roads,  we  could  trace  the  advance  of  the  rebel  army.  On  the 
morning  of  the  2ist  of  August,  the  enemy  opened  fire  on  our 
troops  from  a  battery  of  artillery,  about  >a  mile  above  the  bridge, 
the  first  artillery  we  had  ever  heard  in  actual  battle.  One  of  our 
batteries  wheeled  into  position  on  a  gallop,  cheered  by  the 
excited  shouts  of  our  men,  and  was  admirably  served  in  reply. 
Private  William  Riley  says  of  this  artillery  duel,  which  was 
witnessed  with  great  interest  by  our  novices  :  "Our  battery  got 
the  better  of  them  in  a  few  shots,  showing  a  better  practice,  and 
more  accurate  shooting.  Our  shells  burst  close  to  their  guns, 
while  the  enemy  fired  wide  of  their  mark."  Gibbon's  brigade 
was  ordered  to  the  right  of  King's  division,  and  we  marched 
along  in  the  rear  of  the  batteries,  now  all  placed  in  order  of 
battle  to  fire  upon  the  enemy.  As  we  came  into  range  of  the 
enemy's  battery,  they  turned  their  fire  full  upon  the  sixth 
Wisconsin.  This  was  our  initiation.  The  shell  whizzed  and 


57 

burst  over  us  and  around  us.  The  men  marched  steadily,  keeping 
their  places,  and  holding  their  heads  high.  They  soon 
learned  that  a  discreet  and  respectful  obeisance  to  a  cannon  ball 
is  no  indication  of  cowardice. 

When  our  brigade  had  taken  position,  six  companies  of  our 
regiment  were  ordered  forward  to  cover  the  brigade  front,  and  to 
advance  as  skirmishers  to  the  river.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Bragg 
was  in  command  of  these  companies,  I  was  second.  General 
Patrick's  brigade  skirmish  line,  next  on  our  left,  was  ordered  to 
join  us,  and  be  governed  by  our  movement.  But  Patrick's  line 
did  not  wait,  and  Colonel  Bragg,  seeing  Patrick's  skirmishers 
advancing,  ordered  the  right  of  his  own  line  forward,  before  our 
deployment  on  the  left  was  completed.  By  this  accident,  company 
"E,"  under  Captain  Edwin  A.  Brown,  was  switched  off,  and  lost 
from  the  line,  and  no  connection  was  made  with  General  Patrick's 
skirmishers.  Our  line  also  swung  away  from  the  proper  front, 
and  in  place  of  advancing  toward  the  river,  we  gradually  changed 
to  moving  up  parallel  with  the  river,  opening  at  every  step,  the 
gap  between  us  and  General  Patrick's  skirmishers.  The  thick 
woods  concealed  all  from  our  view.  After  passing  through  the 
woods,  we  came  upon  a  body  of  cavalry  with  blue  overcoats.  I 
galloped  up  to  the  officer  in  command  and  asked  him  if  he  had 
seen  any  rebels.  He  said,  "Yes,  Sir,  plenty  of  them, — just  in 
that  point  of  woods,  not  five  minutes  ago."  So  we  pushed  on  pell 
mell  across  an  open  field  toward  "that  point  of  woods."  Sharp 
musketry  skirmishing  broke  out  directly  behind  us.  It  was 
Captain  Brown  with  our  lost  company  "E,"  and  lieutenant 
Charles  P.  Hyatt,  with  a  platoon  of  company  "B,"  gallantly 
driving  this  rebel  cavalry,  for  such  it  was,  across  the  river.  But 
we  had  been  sent  on  a  fool's  errand  by  a  rebel  company,  who 
were  dressed  in  Union  blue  overcoats.  Brown's  and  Hyatt's 
men  killed  and  wounded  several  of  the  enemy,  and  captured  a 
Lieutenant  and  two  private  soldiers.  These  officers  and  their 
men  won  the  first  glory  for  the  sixth  Wisconsin  on  the  field 
of  actual  battle.  The  interpretation  of  our  movements  by 
Private  William  L,.  Riley  is  amusing.  He  says,  "Went  up  the 
river  to  reconnoitre  fords." 

Toward  night  our  regiment  was  ordered  to  advance  nearer  the 


58 

river.  The  rebels  saw  the  movement,  and  opened  fire  upon  us 
with  a  battery  of  artillery.  Colonel  Cutler  halted,  established 
guides,  and  aligned  forward  into  the  position  assigned  before  he 
would  allow  the  men  to  lie  down.  He  said  "you  must  get  used 
to  it."  Fortunately  the  rebels  were  poor  artillerists  and  did  not 
hit  us,  so  nobody  was  hurt.  We  learned  to  "lie  down"  in  battle, 
later  in  our  experience,  without  waiting .  to  establish  guides.  In 
this  new  position,  we  were  under  a  heavy  artillery  fire.  During 
an  interval,  Colonel  Cutler  brought  up  his  colored  servant,  an 
excellent  cook,  to  make  a  pot  of  hot  coffee,  which  he  invited  me 
to  share  w7ith  him,  but,  just  as  we  sat  down  to  enjoy  our  feast, 
the  coffee-pot  was  knocked  from  the  fire  at  least  twenty  feet  in 
the  air  by  a  rebel  shell.  The  darky,  not  stopping  for  his  coffee-pot, 
left  the  field  at  the  speed  of  a  race  horse.  Our  experiences  the 
first  day  under  fire,  as  we  lost  no  men,  were  really  valuable  in 
showing  the  men,  that  artillery  fire  was  not  so  dangerous  as  they 
had  anticipated.  During  the  next  two  days  we  were  subjected 
by  the  rebels  to,  what  I  call  in  my  journal,  "several  good 
shellings." 

On  August  23rd,  we  marched  to  the  village  of  Warrenton. 
The  rebel  troops,  judging  from  the  clouds  of  dust  which  we 
could  see  beyond  the '  river,  were  moving  also.  We  marched  to 
the  Rappahannock  at  Warrenton  Sulphur  Springs,  where  we 
supported  a  battery,  and  were  under  fire  of  artillery  nearly  all 
day  of  August  26th. *  At  the  Sulphur  Springs,  on  August  27th, 
we  were  ordered  to  march  with  the  utmost  haste  back  to 
Centreville.  The  enemy  was  in  great  force  between  us  and 
Washington,  (Stonewall  Jackson's  corps. f)  As  we  marched 

*0n  this  day,  Lieutenant  Edward  P.  Brooks,  our  Acting  Adjutant,  was 
ordered  to  report  to  General  Pope,  to  act  as  guide  to  the  columns  of  troops 
from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  guided  General  Philip  Kearney's 
division,  and  rendered  other  service  so  excellent  in  character,  that  General 
Pope  gave  him  letters  of  the  highest  commendation. 

tLieutenant  Arthur  C.  Ellis,  of  Company  "B,"  himself  disabled  from 
marching,  was  with  the  wagon  train  of  our  brigade  at  Manassas  Junction, 
when  the  cavalry  of  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  reached  there.  Our 
brigade  park  of  twenty-one  wagons,  was  a  short  distance  from  the 
headquarters  wagon  train  of  General  Pope.  General  Pope's  wagons,  and 
all  others  in  the  vicinity,  excepting  those  of  our  brigade,  were  captured 
and  destroyed  by  Stuart's  cavalry.  But  Lieutenant  Ellis  rallied  the 
crippled  and  sick  men  from  our  brigade,  and  directing  them  to  lie  on  the 


59 

through  Wa'rrenton,  wagon-loads  of  hard  tack  and  pork  were 
being  destroyed,  but  the  emergency  seemed  to  be  considered  so 
great  that  the  troops  were  not  allowed  to  halt  and  fill  their 
nearly  empty  haversacks,  and  some  of  our  men  were  marching 
hungry.  Time  would  have  been  gained  by  stopping  a  few 
moments  to  eat.  We  passed  through  New  Baltimore  and 
camped  for  the  night  near  Buckland's  Mills.  Before  daylight  on 
August  28th,  we  were  again  on  the  march.  About  the  middle  of 
the  forenoon,  we  halted  for  some  time  in  the  road  near  Gainesville. 
Quite  a  large  body  of  rebel  prisoners  passed  us  here.  Artillery 
fire  was  heard  toward  the  Bull  Run  battle  field.  We  pushed  on 
for  two  miles,  when  \ve  turned  off  from  the  turnpike  into  a  piece 
of  timber  on  the  right  hand  side  of  the  road.  Here  we  remained 
until  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  Beef  was  killed,  and  a  ration 
issued.  About  this  hour,  General  McDowell,  according  to  his 
own  testimony,  became  convinced  that  the  troops  who  had  been 
firing  on  our  men,  "were  a  small  reconnoitering  party,  not 
worthy  of  mention  to  the  Commanding  General,"  and  he  ordered 
King's  division  to  march  on  the  turnpike  to  Centreville.  General 
McDowell  himself  then  left  his  corps,  and  having,  he  says, 
"important  business  with  General  Pope,"  he  went  to  find  that 
General  and  in  the  search  became  "lost  in  the  woods."  He 
remained  lost  in  the  woods  during  the  entire  night. 

General  Stonewall  Jackson,  at  that  very  hour,  was  forming 
a  column  of  eighteen  thousand  men  along  the  Warrenton 
turnpike  to  attack  General  McDowell,  and  this  force  was  scarcely 
two  miles  away.  After  \vatching  our  extraordinary  movements 
for  a  season,  Jackson  says:  "By  this  time  it  was  sunset.  *  *  *  I 
determined  to  attack  at  once,  which  was  vigorously  done  by  the 
divisions  of  Taliaferro  and  Kwell"  (six  brigades).  This  attack, 
it  will  be  seen,  struck  the  second  Wisconsin  and  nineteenth 
Indiana  regiments. 

Our  division  moved,  as  ordered,  back  to  the  turnpike  and  then 
along  the  turnpike  toward  Centreville,  first,  Hatch's  brigade: 
second,  Gibbon's;  third,  Doubleday's;  fourth,  Patrick's. 

ground  under  the  wagons,  successfully  defended,  and  saved  from  capture 
our  train.  The  attack  upon  them  was  made  at  midnight.  It  was  a  very 
gallant  deed,  and  of  especial  value  to  us,  as  all  of  our  papers  and  much 
property  were  with  the  wagons. 


60 

THE  BATTLE  OF  GAINESVILLE. 

General  Hatch,  in  advance,  sent  the  i4th  Brooklyn  regiment 
as  advance  guard  and  flankers.  I  remember  seeing  the  line  of 
their  red  legs  on  the  green  slope  of  the  same  hill  from  which  the 
enemy  fired  upon  us,  but  they  discovered  no  enemy.  Our 
brigade  moved  along  the  turnpike  on  that  quiet  summer  evening 
as  unsuspectingly  as  if  changing  camp.  Suddenly  the  stillness 
was  broken  by  six  cannon  shots  fired  in  rapid  succession  by  a 
rebel  battery,  point  blank  at  our  regiment.  The  shell  passed 
over  the  heads  of  our  men,  and  burst  in  the  woods  beyond. 
Surprise  is  no  sufficient  word  for  our  astonishment,  but  the 
reverberation  had  not  died  away  when  gallant  old  Colonel 
Cutler's  familiar  voice  rang  out  sharp  and  loud,  "Battalion,  halt|! 
Front!  Load  at  will !  Load!"  The  men  fairly  jumped  in  their 
eagerness,  and  the  iron  ramrods  were  jingling,  when — "Bang  ! 
Bang  !  "  went  the  rebel  cannon  again.  Again  they  overshot  our 
men,  but  a  poor  horse  was  knocked  over  and  over  against  the 
turnpike  fence.  "Lie  down  !"  shouted  Colonel  Cutler. 
Fortunately  a  little  bank  along  the  roadside  gave  us  good  cover. 
Battery  "B,"  4th  U.  S.  artillery,  now  came  down  the  turnpike 
on  a  gallop.  Quickly  tearing  away  the  fence,  they  wheeled 
into  position  in  the  open  field,  and  the  loud  crack  of  their  brass 
twelve  pounders  echoed  the  rebel  cannon.  Thus  opened  our 
first  real  battle.  General  Gibbon  ordered  the  2nd  Wisconsin  and 
1 9th  Indiana  regiments  to  move  forward  upon  the  enemy.  This 
attack  of  General  Gibbon  was  made  upon  the  theory  that  a 
comparatively  small  force  of  the  enemy  was  present.  (See 
reports  of  Gibbon  and  Doubleday.)  No  sooner  had  the  2nd 
Wisconsin  shown  its  line  in  the  open  field,  than  there  burst 
upon  them  a  flame  of  musketry,  while  Confederate  batteries 
distributed  along  about  a  mile  of  front  opened  with  shell  and 
and  round  shot.  Under  this  terrible  fire  the  second  was  obliged 
to  change  front  before  they  could  return  a  shot.  We  could  not 
see  them  nor  the  igth  Indiana,  owing  to  the  intervening  woods, 
but  we  heard  the  awful  crash  of  musketry,  and  we  knew  there 
was  serious  work  ahead.  Captain  J.  D.  Wood,  of  Gibbon's  staff, 
came  galloping  down  the  turnpike  with  an  order  for  the  sixth  to 
move  forward  into  action.  "Forward,  guide  centre,"  ordered  the 


6i 

Colonel.  The  word  here  ran  down  the  line  from  a  remark 
of  Captain  Wood's,  that  the  second  was  being  slaughtered,  and 
when  Colonel  Cutler  shouted  "March,"  every  man  scrambled  up 
the  bank  and  over  the  fence,  in  the  face  of  shot  and  shell,  with 
something  the  ieeling  that  one  would  hurry  to  save  a  friend 
from  peril.  My  horse  partook  of  the  fierce  excitement,  and  ran 
up  the  bank  and  leaped  a  fence  like  a  squirrel.  I  could  now  see 
the  men  of  the  second  Wisconsin.  They  were  under  the 
concentrated  fire  of  at  least  six  times  their  own  number  of  the 
enemy.  Our  regiment,  five  hundred  and  four  men  in  ranks, 
pushed  forward  rapidly  in  perfect  line  of  battle,  field  officers  and 
Adjutant  E.  P.  Brooks  mounted  and  in  their  places,  and  colors 
advanced  and  flying  in  the  breeze.  Colonel  Cutler  was  on  a 
large  dark  bay,  well  known  to  all  the  men  as  "Old  Prince." 
Colonel  Bragg  rode  a  pure  white  horse  ofhigh  mettle,  which  was 
skittish  and  unmanageable.  My  own  sturdy  old  mare  was 
always  steady  under  fire. 

The  regiment  advanced  without  firing  a  shot,  making  a 
half  wheel  to  the  left  in  line  of  battle  as  accurately  as  if  on  the 
drill  ground.  Through  the  battle  smoke  into  which  we  were 
advancing,  I  could  see  a  blood  red  sun,  sinking  behind  the  hills. 
I  can  not  account  for  our  immunity  from  the  fire  of  the  enemy 
while  on  this  advance.  When  at  a  short  range,  Colonel  Cutler 
ordered  the  regiment  to  halt  and  fire.  The  seventh  Wisconsin 
now  came  forward  and  passed  into  the  ranks  of  the  second 
Wisconsin.  Our  united  fire  did  great  execution.  It  seemed  to 
throw  the  rebels  into  complete  confusion,  and  they  fell  back  into 
the  woods  behind  them.  We  now  gave  a  loud  and  jubilant  cheer 
throughout  the  whole  line  of  our  brigade.  Our  regiment  was  on 
low  ground  which,  in  the  gathering  darkness,  gave  us  great 
advantage  over  the  enemy,  as  they  overshot  our  line.  The  other 
three  regiments  of  the  brigade  were  on  higher  ground  than  the 
enemy.  There  was  space  enough  vacant  between  our  regiment 
and  the  others  for  a  thousand  men.  Colonel  Cutler  sat  upon  his 
horse  near  the  colors  at  the  center  of  the  regiment.  Lieut.  Colonel 
Bragg  was  on  the  right  and,  being  myself  upon  the  left,  I  was  in 
good  position  to  observe  the  progress  of  the  battle.  It  was  quite 
dark  when  the  enemy's  yelling  columns  again  came  forward,  and 


62 

they  came  with  a  rush.  Our  men  on  the  left  loaded  and 
fired  with  the  energy  of  madmen,  and  the  sixth  worked  with  an 
equal  desperation,  This  stopped  the  rush  of  the  enemy,  and 
they  halted  and  fired  upon  us  their  deadly  musketry.  During  a 
few  awful  moments,  I  could  see  by  the  lurid  light  of  the  powder 
flashes,  the  whole  of  both  lines.  I  saw  a  rebel  mounted  officer 
shot  from  his  horse  at  the  very  front  of  their  battle  line.  It  was 
evident  that  we  were  being  overpowered  and  that  our  men  were 
giving  ground.  The  two  crowds,  they  could  hardly  be  called 
lines,  were  within,  it  seemed  to  me,  fifty  yards  of  each  other, 
and  they  were  pouring  musketry  into  each  other  as  rapidly  as 
men  could  load  and  shoot.  Two  of  General  Doubleday's 
regiments  (56th  Pennsylvania  and  76th  New  York,)  now  came 
suddenly  into  the  gap  on  the  left  of  our  regiment,  and  they  fired 
a  crashing  volley.  Hurrah !  They  have  come  at  the  very  nick 
of  time.  The  low  ground  saved  our  regiment,  as  the  enemy 
overshot  us  in  the  darkness.  Men  were  falling  in  the  sixth,  but 
our  loss  was  small  compared  to  that  suffered  by  the  regiments  on 
the  left.  I  rode  along  our  line  and  when  near  Colonel  Cutler,  he 
said,  "Our  men  are  giving  ground  on  the  left,  Major."  "Yes, 
Sir,"  said  I.  I  heard  a  distinct  sound  of  the  blow  that  struck 
him.  He  gave  a  convulsive  start  and  clapped  his  hand  on  his 
leg,  but  he  controlled  his  voice.  He  said,  "Tell  Colonel  Bragg 
to  take  command,  I  am  shot."  Almost  at  the  same  time  "Old 
Prince"  was  shot ;  but  he  carried  his  master  safely  from  the 
field.  I  rode  quickly  to  Lieut.  Colonel  Bragg  and  he  at  once  took 
command  of  the  regiment.  There  was  cheering  along  our 
line  and  it  was  again  standing  firmly.  General  Doubleday's  two 
regiments  by  their  opportune  arrival  and  gallant  work,  aided 
much  in  turning  the  battle  in  our  favor.  The  "little  Colonel" 
(Bragg,)  always  eager  to  push  forward  in  a  fight,  advanced  the 
regiment  several  rods.  But  soon  the  enemy  came  on  again  just 
as  before,  and  our  men  on  the  left  could  be  seen  on  the  hill,  in 
the  infernal  light  of  the  powder  flashes,  struggling  as  furiously  as 
ever.  I  could  distinctly  see  Lieut.  Colonel  Fairchild,  of  the  second 
Wisconsin  and  Lieut.  Colonel  Hamilton  of  the  seventh  Wisconsin, 
and  other  officers  whom  I  recognized,  working  among  and  cheering 
up  their  men.  Men  who  had  been  shot  were  streaming  back 


from  along  the  whole  line.  Our  regiment  was  suffering  more 
severely  than  it  had  been  ;  but,  favored  by  the  low  ground, 
we  kept  up  a  steady,  rapid,  and  well  aimed  fire.  As  I  galloped 
backward  and  forward  along  the  line,  my  horse  encountered 
ditches.  Excited  by  the  firing,  cheering,  and  whizzing  of  the 
rebel  shells,  she  would  squat  and  jump  a  long  distance  in  crossing 
them.  How  long  our  men  withstood  this  last  attack,  I  can  not 
estimate,  but,  in  the  history  of  war,  it  is  doubtful  whether  there 
was  ever  more  stubborn  courage  than  was  displayed  by  the 
second  and  seventh  Wisconsin  and  nineteenth  Indiana  regiments, 
on  this  field  of  battle.  The  only  reason  why  I  speak  less  of  the 
1 9th  Indiana  regiment  is  because  I  could  not  see  them  so 
distinctly.  Our  line  on  the  left  gradually  fell  back.  It  did  not 
break  but  slowly  gave  ground,  firing  as  savagely  as  ever.  The 
rebels  did  not  advance.  Colonel  Bragg  directed  our  regiment  to 
move  by  a  backward  step,  keeping  up  our  fire  and  keeping  on  a 
line  with  our  brigade.  But  one  of  the  companies  of  the  right 
wing  ("C")  became  broken  by  the  men  marching  backward  into 
a  ditch.  Colonel  Bragg  halted  the  regiment  to  enable  them  to 
reform  their  line,  and  upon  this  ground  we  stood  until  the  enemy 
ceased  firing.  The  other  regiments  of  the  brigade  fell  back  to 
the  turnpike.  After  an  interval  of  quiet,  Colonel  Bragg  called 
upon  the  regiment  to  give  three  cheers.  No  response  of  any 
kind  was  given  by  the  enemy.  It  was  now  about  nine  o'clock, 
and  the  night  was  very  dark.  Feeling  assured  the  battle  was 
over,  measures  then  were  taken  to  secure  the  burial  of  our 
eight  dead  men,  and  to  hunt  up  our  sixty-one  wounded.  Three 
men  were  missing.*  The  regiment  moved  back  by  the  left  of 
companies  and  formed  in  the  edge  of  the  piece  of  woods.  By 
direction  of  the  Colonel,  I  rode  toward  the  left  to  ascertain  the 
location  of  our  other  troops.  I  came  suddenly  in  the  darkness 
upon  a  marching  column.  Fortunately,  I  kept  still  and  soon 
discovered  myself  to  be  by  the  side  of  a  rebel  regiment.  I  rode 
quietly  along  for  a  short  distance  with  them  and  turned  off  into 
the  darkness  unheeded.  General  Gibbon  directed  us  to  remain 

*One  of  our  best  officers,  Lieutenant  Jerome  B.  Johnson,  of  Company 
"E,"  was  found  severely  wounded.  Surgeon  A.  J.  Ward,  of  the  second 
Wisconsin,  remained  with  our  wounded  men. 


64 

where  we  were.  The  enemy,  a  short  distance  away,  was  caring 
for  their  wounded  and  burying  their  dead.  We  could  hear  their 
conversation,  but  ordered  our  picket  line  not  to  fire  or  in  any 
way  to  disclose  our  proximity. 

About  half  past  twelve  o'clock  at  night  we  marched  back 
through  the  woods  to  the  turnpike.  Painful  to  relate,  to  this 
woods  many  of  our  wounded  had  gone  when  shot  in  the  battle. 
They  were  now  scattered  about  under  its  dark  shadows,  suffering 
and  groaning  and  some  were  dying.  In  the  pitchy  darkness  we 
stumbled  upon  them.  This  was  the  battle  for  which  we  had  so 
long  been  yearning.  On  the  turnpike  we  found  hasty  preparations 
for  retreat  and  at  about  one  o'clock  A.  M.  we  silently  filed  away 
in  the  darkness,  muffling  the  rattling  tin  cups,  and  turning  our 
course  toward  Manassas  Junction.  As  major  I  rode  at  the  rear 
of  our  regiment.  Presently  there  sifted  out  from  the  marching 
column  numbers  of  wounded  men,  who  were  struggling  to  keep 
with  their  comrades  and  to  avoid  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.*  I  saw  Captain  John  F.  Marsh,  who  had  been  shot  in 
the  knee,  drop  to  the  rear,  and  dismounting  from  my  horse,  I 
lifted  him  to  the  saddle,  marching  through  on  foot  myself.  My 
steady  old  mare  did  the  service  of  a  good  Samaritan.  Each 
stirrup  strap  and  even  her  tail  were  an  aid  to  help  along  the  weak 
and  weary.  The  cry  at  such  times  is  for  water,  water.  There 
was  none  left  in  the  canteens.  But  we  deemed  ourselves  very 
fortunate.  We  had  lost  72  from  our  504  men  in  battle.  But  the 
second  Wisconsin  !  298  men  of  [the  splendid  second  Wisconsin 
had  been  killed  or  wounded  in  the  fight  and  they  had  taken  not 
more  than  500  men  into  action.  The  yth  Wisconsin  and  the  igth 
Indiana  had  suffered  in  almost  the  same  terrible  proportion.  Of 
twelve  field  officers  in  the  brigade,  but  four  remained  for  duty, 
and  two  of  them  were  of  our  regiment.  The  second  Wisconsin 
regiment  had  been  almost  mortally  wounded.  Never  afterward 
could  be  filled  the  places  of  such  soldiers  as  went  down  at  Gaines 
ville.  For  free  and  easy  movement,  combined  with  exact 


*A  second  Wisconsin  man,  E.  S.  Williams,  whose  leg  was  later  amputated, 
in  some  manner  crawled  over  that  nine  miles,  and  another  man  of  that 
regiment,  Hugh  Lewis,  went  over  the  road  on  that  fearful  night,  to  have 
his  arm  amputated  in  the  morning. 


65 

precision  and  perfect  time,  that  battalion  had  a  little  surpassed  us 
all  on  the  brigade  drill  ground.  The  elan  of  the  old  second 
Wisconsin  could  not  be  excelled.-  It  has  passed  into  the  history 
of  our  country,  as  the  regiment  which  had  the  largest  number  of 
men  killed  in  battle,  in  proportion  to  its  numbers,  of  any  regiment 
engaged  in  the  war  for  the  Union.  Gainesville  contributed  much 
to  this  unequalled  list  of  dead  upon  the  field  of  glory.  But  the 
weary  and  dreadful  lists  of  battle  casualties  can  not  be  repeated 
here,  they  must  be  looked  for  upon  the  official  records  of  the  war. 
About  daylight  we  reached  our  bivouac  near  Manassas  and  flung 
ourselves  exhausted  upon  the  ground  for  rest. 

lyeaving  the  tired  brigade  in  its  heavy  slumber,  we  may  con 
sider  briefly  the  Battle  of  Gainesville. 

The  cold  figures  speak  for  the  battle  power  shown  by  our 
glorious  brigade,  more  eloquently  than  language  can  express. 
Stonewall  Jackson  sent  into  action  six  brigades  of  infantry  and 
three  batteries  of  artillery.  The  brigades  were:  Trimble's, 
L,awton's  and  Early's  of  E well's  division,  and  Starke's,  Baylor's, 
and  Taliaferro's,  of  the  Stonewall  division,  thirty  regiments  of 
infantry,  at  least  eight  thousand  men.  The  batteries  in  action 
were,  Wooding's,  Pogue's,  and  Carpenter's.  Our  force  engaged 
could  not  have  exceeded  three  thousand  men.  The  officially 
reported  loss  of  Hwell's  division  was  seven  hundred  and  fifty- 
nine.*  The  loss  of  the  Stonewall  division  was  not  less. 
Gibbon's  brigade  lost  seven  hundred  and  fifty-four  and 
General  Rufus  King  has  testified  that  the  entire  loss  of  our  six 
regiments  and  one  battery f  engaged,  was  one  thousand  men.  It 
is  now  made  quite  certain  by  the  Confederate  Official  Records 
that  our  troops  inflicted  upon  them  a  loss  of  fifteen  hundred  men. 
This  is  reasonably  explained  by  the  fact  that  the  Confederate 
force  twice  advanced  in  columns  of  attack.  Our  men  stuck 
desperately  and  persistently  to  one  deployed  line,  from  which 
they  delivered  a  steady  and  well  aimed  fire.  At  the  time  of  the 
hottest  firing,  the  troops  were  stationed  approximately  as  shown 
in  the  diagram  given.  The  Confederate  brigades  are  arranged 


*See  Page  813,  Volume  12,  Part  II,  War  Records. 
t"B,"  4th  U.  S.  artillery. 


66 


in  the  order  that  seems  to  be  indicated  by  their  own  official 
reports.     I  have  not  attempted  to  locate  their  artillery. 


************ 
************** 


,A  -Division.  Swell's  Division 

* 
-oayior.      Starke.  Trimble.         r 


19th       2d  &  7th.       56th  Pa.        6th  Wis. 
Ind.           Wie.             76th  N.  Y. 

******** 
******************* 
Woods. 

t  t  t  t  t  t 
Battery  B. 

Patrick's  Brigade, 
on  turnpike. 

Doubleday,                      6th  Wis.t 
95th  N.  Y. 

Warrenton  Turnpike 

fPoint  where  fired  on. 

I  do  not  feel  that  our  army  commander,  General  Pope,  has  in 
his  official  statements  of  this  battle,  done  justice  to  our  troops 
engaged.  I  much  prefer  the  more  worthy  tributes  from  the 
Generals  who  were  opposed  to  us  upon  that  bloody  field.  The 
Confederate  General,  T.  J.  Jackson,  says  in  his  official  report  in 
regard  to  this  battle :  "The  conflict  was  fierce  and  sanguinary. 
The  federals  did  not  attempt  to  advance,  but  maintained  their 
ground  with  obstinate  determination.  Both  lines  stood  exposed 
to  the  discharge  of  musketry  and  artillery  until  about  nine 
o'clock,  when  the  enemy  slowly  retired,  yielding  the  field  to  our 
troops.  The  loss  on  both  sides  was  heavy  and  among  our 
wounded  were  Major  General  Kwell  and  Brigadier  General 
Taliaferro." 

The  Confederate  General,  William  B.  Taliaferro,  who  com 
manded  Jackson's  old  division,  three  brigades  in  the  battle,  says 
in  his  official  report:  "Here  one  of  the  most  terrific  contests  that 
can  be  conceived  occurred.  The  enemy  never  once  attempted  to 
advance  upon  our  position,  but  withstood  with  great 
determination  the  terrible  fire  which  our  lines  poured  upon  them. 
For  two  hours  and  a  half,  without  an  instant's  cessation  of  the 


STONEWALL"   JACKSON. 


67 

most  deadly  discharges  of  musketry,  round  shot  and  shell,  both 
lines  stood  unmoved,  neither  advancing  and  neither  broken  nor 
yielding,  until  at  last,  about  nine  o'clock  at  night,  the  enemy 
slowly  and  sullenly  fell  back  and  yielded  to  our  victorious 
troops."* 

General  John  F.  Reynolds  says,  "After  the  firing  ceased  I  saw 
General  King,  who  determined  to  maintain  his  position.^  I  left 
about  9  o'clock  P.  M.,  to  return  to  my  division,  promising  to 
bring  it  up  early  in  the  morning  to  his  support.  "J  General 
Reynolds  commanded  the  Pennsylvania  Reserve  division,  twenty- 
five  hundred  of  the  best  possible  quality  of  veteran  soldiers. 
But  a  Council  of  War  was  afterward  held  by  the  Generals  of 
King's  division.  The  old  adage  was  again  verified  that  "A 
Council  of  War  never  fights."  General  King  has  written  as 
follows  :  "Then  came  the  question,  what  next  to  be  done.  The 
enemy  in  greatly  superior  force  barred  the  way  in  which  the 
division  was  marching.  The  only  alternative  was  to  deflect  to 
the  right  to  join  the  bulk  of  Pope's  army  in  the  vicinity  of 
Manassas."  It  seems  however  that  the  bulk  of  Pope's  army 
was  not  then  at  Manassas.  This  movement  was  an  abandonment 
of  the  ground  we  held  between  L,ee's  army  and  Jackson's  isolated 
corps.  Brigadier  General  Gibbon,  who  so  gallantly  attacked  the 
enemy  with  his  single  brigade,  says  in  his  own  official  report: 
"I  sent  repeated  and  earnest  requests  to  Division  headquarters 
(General  King)  for  assistance."  "I  sent  repeatedly  and  urgently 
to  Generals  King,  Doubleday  and  Patrick  for  assistance,  but  the 
two  regiments  of  Doubleday's  brigade  was  the  only  assistance 
furnished  me."  General  Doubleday  sent  his  two  regiments 
however,  to  assist  Gibbon,  without  orders  to  do  so  from  General 
King.  He  says  in  his  report:  "Receiving  no  orders,  and  unable 

*In  Volume  XII,  Series  1,  Part  II,  War  Records,  may  be  found  official 
reports  of  the  battle  of  Gainesville. 

Brigadier  General  John  Gibbon, Pages  377  and  379. 

Letter  of  General  Gibbon, Page  380. 

Report  Lieutenant  Colonel  E.S.Bragg, "     382. 

"      General  A.  Doubleday, "     369. 

"      J.  P.  Hatch, , "     367. 

Casualities, "     380. 

tGolden  words  for  General  King. 

{Page  393,  Volume  XII,  Series  I,  Part  II,  War  Records. 


68 

to  obtain  them,  I  almost  immediately  sent  two  regiments  of  my 
brigade,  the  56th  Pennsylvania,  under  Colonel  S.  A.  Meredith, 
and  the  y6th  New  York  under  Colonel  W.  P.  Wainwright,  to  aid 
Gibbon.  Knowing  he  would  be  overpowered  if  not  succored,  I 
immediately  complied  with  his  earnest  request  and  sent  him  the 
two  regiments  referred  to,  leaving  myself  but  one  regiment  (95th 
New  York)  in  reserve."  General  Gibbon  says:  "Patrick's 
brigade  remained  immovable  and  did  not  fire  a  shot,"  and  he 
says  also,  "No  superior  general  officer  was  in  the  vicinity  with 
the  requisite  knowledge  and  authority  to  order  up  troops  to  our 
support." 

I  have  searched  the  official  records  in  vain  for  further 
explanation  of  the  management  of  this  battle.  Our  Corps 
Commander,  General  McDowell,  had  no  part  in  the  affair,  for  he 
was  "lost  in  the  woods." 

What  a  painful  contrast  is  presented  in  the  records  of  the 
Generals  of  the  enemy.  The  rebel  Corps  Commander,  Stonewall 
Jackson,  conducted  the  battle  in  person.  Two  rebel  Generals  of 
Division  were  shot  in  the  fight,  (Kwell  and  Taliaferro).  Jackson 
had  exact  knowledge  of  the  field,  a  clear  purpose,  concentrated 
action  by  his  troops,  and  his  Generals  led  their  men  to  battle. 
On  the  afternoon  of  this  day,  August  28th,  1862,  was  lost  the 
only  opportunity  that  occurred  in  that  campaign  to  attack 
Jackson  with  superior  forces  while  separated  from  Lee.  The 
verdict  of  history  is  likely  to  be,  that  the  opportunity  was  "lost 
in  the  woods."* 

The  best  blood  of  Wisconsin  and  Indiana  was  poured  out 
like  water,  and  it  was  spilled  for  naught.  Against  a  dark 
background  of  blunders,  imbecilities,  jealousies  and  disasters  in 
the  Pope  campaign,  stands  in  bright  relief  the  gallant  conduct  of 
our  heroic  leader,  John  Gibbon.  Whatever  history  may  do  for 
others,  his  fame  is  as  safe  as  that  of  the  faithful  and  gallant  heroes 
of  the  brigade  he  commanded. 

But  let  us  now  return  to  our  sleeping  brigade  at  Manassas.     A 


*See  Pages  328  to  331,  Volume  XII,  Part  1,  War  Records.  The  McDowell 
Court  of  Inquiry.  "The  court  finds  that  he,  (McDowell)  separated  himself 
from  his  command  at  a  critical  time,  without  any  orders  from  his  superior 
officer  and  without  any  imperative  necessity." 


fresh  beef  ration  has  been  issued  and  hot  coffee  has  been  made, 
and  at  nine  o'clock  all  are  listening  to  the  sounds  of  battle  that 
come  from  the  old  Bull  Run  field.  There  is  a  heavy  sound  of 
cannon  and  an  occasional  ripple  of  musketry.  We  were  near  the 
railroad  track,  which  branches  off  at  Manassas  Junction.  I  was 
myself  aroused  from  a  sleep  by  the  heavy  tramp  of  hurrying  feet. 
I  arose  to  see  the  corps  of  General  Fitz  John  Porter  passing  by 
us  toward  the  battle  field.  At  the  time  they  were  passing,  the 
cannon  were  roaring  so  loudly  that  the  men  fully  believed  they 
were  marching  directly  to  battle.  They  appeared  fresh  and  in 
good  spirits  and  the  corps  was  a  remarkably  fine  body  of  troops. 
The  men  marched  rapidly,  appeared  to  be  well  fed,  and  there  was 
a  great  contrast  between  them  and  our  own  exhausted  troops. 
As  things  are  in  a  battle  campaign  they  were  in  excellent  con 
dition.  They  showed  quite  a  contempt  for  us  as  of  "Pope's  army." 
They  said  :  "We  are  going  up  to  show  you  'straw  feet'  how  to 
fight."  The  lesson  did  not  prove  to  be  impressive.  All  through 
the  ranks  of  Porter's  Corps  was  a  running  fire  of  disparagement 
of  us  as  "Pope's  "  soldiers,  something  quite  inferior  to  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  Of  course  our  men  retorted.  There  was  one 
regiment  of  Zouaves  with  baggy  trousers  (Duryea's  I  think).  I 
remember  one  of  our  men  said :  "Wait  till  you  get  where  we 
have  been.  You'll  get  the  slack  taken  out  of  your  pantaloons 
and  the  swell  out  of  your  heads." 

We  remained  until  some  time  in  the  afternoon  when  we  marched 
back  toward  the  field  of  battle  where  a  heavy  engagement 
seemed  to  be  in  progress.  We  moved  along  the  Manassas  Gap 
Railroad  and  turned  on  to  the  road  to  Sudley  Springs.  As  we 
marched  up  to  the  battle  field  that  afternoon,  we  could  see  heavy 
clouds  of  dust  stretching  away  toward  Thoroughfare  Gap.  This 
of  course  was  caused  by  the  advancing  army  of  General  Lee,  but 
it  was  interpreted  to  us  at  the  time  as  indicating  that  Jackson 
was  retreating  to  join  Lee.  Private  Riley  states  in  his  journal : 
"Upon  our  arrival  at  the  Warrenton  turnpike,  General  McDowell, 
who  sat  upon  his  horse  by  the  road  side,  said,  'We  have  been 
driving  the  enemy  all  day.'  ':  Riley  also  says  in  his  journal  that 
General  McDowell  used  this  language :  "Give  him  a  good  poke, 
boys.  He  is  getting  sick,"  meaning  the  enemy.  General 


70 

McDowell  wore  a  peculiarly  shaped  cap  at  this  time  which  was 
commented  upon  by  the  men. 

King's  division  was  formed  in  two  lines  of  battle  in  a  large 
open  field,  but  Gibbon's  brigade  was  detached  and  ordered  away, 
and  we  marched  toward  the  right,  nearly  a  mile  and  a  half.  We 
went  into  position  in  support  of  batteries  of  artillery,  relieving 
troops  who  marched  toward  the  front.  It  was  about  sunset. 
King's  division,  excepting  ourselves,  had  become  involved  in  a 
very  sharp  battle  with  the  enemy.  Listening  to  this  musketry, 
we  deemed  ourselves  exceedingly  fortunate  to  have  escaped  a 
fight.  Our  one  night's  experience  at  Gainesville  had  eradicated 
our  yearning  for  a  fight.  In  our  future  history  we  will  always 
be  found  ready  but  never  again  anxious. 

A  few  artillery  shots  from  the  enemy  whistled  over  us,  but  we 
soon  fell  into  a  profound  and  much  needed  slumber. 
BATTLE  OF  BULL  RUN  SECOND. 

The  sun  rose  clear  on  the  morning  of  August  3oth,  1862,  and 
during  the  forenoon  the  troops  of  our  army  were  moving  quietly 
into  position.  From  our  hill  we  had  an  excellent  view  of  the 
field.  The  whole  of  our  army  was  spread  before  us,  but  inter 
vening  timber  hid  the  enemy  from  our  sight.  The  drift  of  talk 
was  that  the  rebels  were  falling  back.  About  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  we  were  ordered  forward  to  "pursue  the  enemy." 
We  marched  on  the  Warrenton  turnpike,  perhaps  half  a  mile, 
when  our  brigade  was  formed  into  two  lines  of  battle  in  an  open 
field  on  the  right  hand  side.  General  Patrick's  brigade  was  in 
front  of  us,  formed  also  in  two  lines  of  battle.  We  had  thus  at 
our  point  of  attack  four  lines  of  battle.  Before  us  was  woods, 
beyond  which  a  railroad  embankment.  Behind  this  embankment 
quietly  awaiting  the  attack  were  our  antagonists  at  Gainesville, 
the  veteran  army  corps  of  Stonewall  Jackson.  Just  before  we 
entered  the  edge  of  the  woods,  our  brigade  was  changed  to  one 
line  of  battle  with  the  sixth  Wisconsin  on  the  right.  As  the 
troops  entered  the  woods  a  very  heavy  artillery  fire  broke  out 
upon  our  left,  (L,ongstreet's).  Musketry  opened  in  our  front. 
Bullets,  canister,  shell,  and  the  men  said,  "  scraps  of  railroad 
iron,"  tore  through  the  limbs  and  brush  over  us  and  around  us. 
We  pushed  on,  advancing  as  the  lines  in  front  of  us  advanced 


71 

and  lying  down  on  the  ground  when  they  stopped.  There  was 
no  order  to  charge  upon  the  enemy,  and  we  wondered  why 
such  orders  were  not  given.  Thus  we  slowly  advanced. 
Suddenly,  the  lines  in  our  front  broke  and  the  men  ran  back  in 
great  disorder.  The  rebels  raised  a  tremendous  shout,  and 
poured  in  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry.  The  sharp  artillery  fire  of 
the  enemy  which  enfiladed  our  line,  added  to  the  panic  and 
confusion.  Colonel  Bragg  shouted,  "Sixth  Wisconsin,  kneel 
down !  Captains,  keep  your  men  down  !  Let  nobody  tramp  on 
them!"  General  Gibbon  himself  came  running  up  on  foot  with 
his  revolver  drawn,  shouting,  "'Stop  those  stragglers! — Make 
them  fall  in! — Shoot  them  if  they  don't!"  It  was  a  new 
experience,  but  we  were  not  swept  away.  Our  men  were  down 
with  bayonets  set,  when  the  fugitives  began  to  swarm  upon  them. 
All  the  officers  were  struggling  to  stop  stragglers  and  force  them 
to  join  our  ranks.  Many  were  held  with  us,  but  no  Union  troops 
were  left  in  front  of  us.  General  Gibbon  directed  Colonel  Bragg 
to  throw  forward  a  company  as  skirmishers.  This  was  a  fearful 
duty.  Colonel  Bragg  called  for  my  old  company  "K." 

"Who  faltered  or  shivered  ? 
Who  shunned  battle  stroke  ? 
Whose  fire  was  uncertain? 
Whose  battle  line  broke  ? 
Go  ask  it  of  history, 
Years  from  to-day, 
And  the  record  shall  tell  you, 
Not  'company  K.'  ". 

The  boys  immediately  sprang  up  under  command  of  Captain 
David  L-  Quaw,  and  deployed  forward  upon  a  run.  We  could 
see  them  firing  and  dodging  from  tree  to  tree.  They  met  a  rebel 
skirmish  line  coming  forward  through  the  woods,  and  they  drove 
it  back  upon  the  rebel  line  of  battle.  The  spirit  and  conduct  of 
company  "K"  was  beyond  praise.  The  panic  and  retreat  of  our 
own  troops  and  the  exultant  shouts  of  thousands  of  rebel  soldiers 
did  not  daunt  these  men.  Captain  Quaw  says  that  "after  the 
rebel  skirmishers  retreated,  there  arose  up  from  behind  a 
railroad  bank,  a  mass  of  rebel  soldiers  several  ranks  deep.  I 
shouted  to  my  men  to  'tree.'  I  jumped  behind  a  small  tree 
myself,  where  I  must  have  shrunk  to  the  dimensions  of  a  wafer. 


72 

A  dozen  bullets  hit  that  tree.  I  did  not  wait  for  the  rebels  to 
fire  again,  but  ordered  the  men  back  to  the  regiment." 

All  the  troops  that  had  been  in  the  woods,  except  the  sixth 
Wisconsin,  had  now  retreated  and  gone  to  the  rear.  Brigadier 
General  John  Gibbon,  be  it  ever  remembered  to  his  honor,  re 
mained  with  our  regiment.  He  said  he  had  received  no  orders  to 
retreat  and  he  should  stay  until  he  got  them.  The  regiment  was 
now  lying  on  the  ground,  subjected  to  a  fire  from  rebel  sharp-shoot 
ers  and  quite  a  number  of  our  men  were  killed  or  wounded  by  them. 
A  bullet  would  strike  a  man  who  would  writhe,  groan  and  die  or 
spring  up,  throw  away  his  impediments  and  start  for  the  rear. 
Our  men  peered  through  the  leaves,  shooting  at  the  puffs  of 
powder  smoke  from  the  muskets  of  the  rebels.  As  I  walked 
along  the  line,  some  men  of  company  "I"  said :  ''Major,  don't  go 
near  that  tree."  I  was  not  aware  what  tree,  but  had  wit  enough 
to  jump  away.  Spat,  went  a  bullet  against  a  tree,  cutting  a 
corner  from  my  haversack.  They  had  notice.d  that  the  tree  had 
been  several  times  struck  by  the  bullets  of  a  sharp  shooter.  A 
soldier  of  a  New  York  regiment  lay  wounded  in  front  of  our 
line.  He  begged  piteously  for  water  and  for  help.  First 
Sergeant,  Charles  L,ainpe,  of  company  "F"  went  to  give  him  a 
swallow  from  his  canteen  and  was  himself  shot  dead  by  the 
merciless  bullet  of  the  sharp-shooter.  Private  William  Bickel- 
haupt,  of  company  "F,"  had  been  shot  through  the  body,  and  I 
heard  the  poor  little  boy,  for  such  he  was,  in  plaintive  broken 
English  telling  his  comrades  what  to  write  to  his  "Mutter." 

It  now  being  evident  that  no  staff  officer  could  bring  us  orders 
of  any  kind,  General  Gibbon  directed  Colonel  Bragg  to  form  a 
line  of  skirmishers  to  cover  the  retreat  of  the  regiment,  and  to 
move  to  the  rear.  The  skirmishers  were  quickly  deployed  and 
Colonel  Bragg  ordered  the  regiment  to  face  about  and  march 
back.  But  the  rebels  redoubled  their  fire,  killing  and  wounding 
quite  a  number  of  our  men.  Bragg  immediately  ordered  the 
regiment  to  face  to  the  front.  Our  skirmishers  were  hotly 
engaged  with  the  enemy.  By  a  slow  backward  step,  we  moved 
out  of  the  woods.  Upon  reaching  the  open  ground,  Colonel 
Bragg  faced  the  regiment  by  the  rear  rank  and  took  a  steady 
double  quick.  It  was  full  three  quarters  of  a  mile  over  the  open 


Bullets  hit  that  tree.     I  did  not  wait  for  the  rebels  to 

.  ,  but  ordered  the  iu  to  the  regiment." 

All  the  troops  that  had  been  in  the  woods,  except  the  sixth 

msin,  had  now  retreated  and  gone  to  the  rear.     Brigadier 

General  John   Gibbon,  be  it  ever  remembered  to  his  honor,  re 


mained  with  our  regiment.  He  said  1 
retreat  and  he  should  stay  until  he  go 
nov.  i  the  ground,  sub; 

ers  and  quite  a  number  of  our  mer 
A  bullet  would  strike  a  man 
spring  up,   throw  av 
Our  men  peered  tb 
powder  smoke  from 
along  the  line,  some 
near  that  tree." 
to  jump   away.     8] 
corner  from  my  ha\ 
been  several  times  . 
soldier  of  a  New 
He    begged 
Charles 

• 


d  no  orders  to 
The  regiment  was 
dl  sharp-shoot- 
i aided  by  them. 
>an  and  die  or 
for  the  rear, 
puffs  of 
T  walked 

I't  gO 

at  tree,  but  had  wit  enough 

cutting  a 

tree  had 

-harp  shooter.     A 
uded  in   front  of  our 
'and    for    help.     First 
"F"  went  to  give  him  a 
rnself  shot  dead  by  the 
Private  \Villiarn  Bickel- 


,.:g  to  form  a 
t,  and  to 


:      '  .  .         .    ' 

F,"  had  >dy,  and  I 

boy,  for  ""oken 

•inrades  what  'iis  "Mutter." 

It  i'  •  that  no  staT  .'Id  bring  us  orders 

of  any  k, 
line  of  skirm: 

move  to  the  rear.     T  deployed  and 

about  and  march 

But  t;  ing  and  wounding 

.:ately   ordered  the 

rmishers    were    hotly 

By  a  rd  step,  we  moved 

u  reaching  the  open   ground,   Colonel 

regiment  by  the  rear  rank  and  took  a  steady 

It  was  full  three  quarters  of  a  mile  over  the  open 


73 

fields  to  the  place  where  our  new  lines  were  forming.  The  sixth 
Wisconsin  regiment  alone  upon  the  plain,  in  full  sight  of  both 
armies,  marched  this  distance.  General  Rufus  King  in  describing 
this  scene  says:  "The  sixth  Wisconsin,  the  very  last  to  retire, 
marched  slowly  and  steadily  to  the  rear,  with  column  formed  and 
colors  flying,  faced  the  front  as  they  reached  their  new  position, 
and  saluted  the  approaching  enemy  with  three  cheers  and  a 
rattling  volley."  General  King  is  in  error  as  to  the  volley.  We 
should  have  killed  our  following  skirmish  line  by  such  firing. 
The  regiment  was  ordered  into  position  in  support  of  battery 
"B,"  4th  U.  S.  artillery.  We  were  on  a  high  point,  commanding 
the  Warrenton  turnpike  and  the  open  fields  over  which  we 
had  retreated.  Just  as  the  line  was  being  formed,  a  solid  shot 
cut  off  the  tail  of  a  fine  bay  horse  ridden  by  Lieutenant  James 
Stewart,  of  battery  "B."  *The  shot  gave  the  horse  a  deep  cut 
across  the  rump,  the  scar  of  which  lasted  his  life-time.  The 
horse's  tail  flew  into  the  faces  of  men  of  our  regiment,  switching 
them  severely. 

It  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  rebels  (Longstreet's 
corps)  directed  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery  on  us,  and  began  a 
general  advance  of  their  infantry  toward  our  left.  We  could  see 
regiment  after  regiment  of  the  enemy  moving  in  column  by 
division,  and  forming  into  line  of  battle  as  they  advanced  upon 
our  men.  From  the  point  where  we  lay  upon  the  ground,  the 
view  of  the  battle  was  extensive.  Our  batteries  were  all  actively 
firing  upon  the  advancing  columns  of  the  enemy.  Their  artillery 
was  also  in  action.  The  solid  shot  and  shell  struck  around  us 
and  whizzed  over  us.  Occasionally  a  horse  would  be  killed 
by  them,  and  one  man's  head  was  carried  away  entirely.  Such 
sights  very  severely  test  one's  nerves.  A  solid  shot  will  plow 
into  the  ground,  spitefully  scattering  the  dirt,  and  bound  a 
hundred  feet  into  the  air,  looking  as  it  flies  swiftly  away  like  an 
India  rubber  playing  ball.  We  could  see  every  movement  of  the 
left  wing  of  our  own  army,  and  of  the  right  wing  of  the  rebel 
army.  Our  lines  were  in  open  fields  in  front  of  a  strip  of  woods. 
The  rebel  musketry  fire  was  pouring  from  the  woods  upon  our 
men  who  were  closing  together  and  rallying  under  the  attack. 

*This  horse  was  called  "Tartar." 


74 


Regiments  would  sweep  splendidly  forward  into  the  front  line, 
fire  a  crashing  volley  into  the  woods  and  then  work  with  great 
energy.  But  they  quickly  withered  away  until  there  would 
appear  to  be  a  mere  company  crowding  around  the  colors.  The 
open  fields  were  covered  with  wounded  and  stragglers,  going  to 
the  rear.  The  rebels  charged  up  a  ravine  endeavoring  to 
capture  an  Ohio  battery  upon  our  immediate  left.  The  second 
and  seventh  Wisconsin  had  been  consolidated  and  were  under 
command  of  lieutenant  Colonel  Lucius  Fairchild.  Colonel 
Fairchild  had  his  men  change  front  and  attack  the  enemy,  who 
were  quickly  driven  back  and  the  battery  saved.  We  could  now 
see  that  our  troops  upon  the  left  were  being  driven  back  in 
confusion  over  the  open  fields.  This  outflanked  our  position, 
and  it  was  evident  that  we  must  soon  draw  back  our  line. 
General  Joseph  Hooker,  who  was  mounted  on  a  white  horse, 
rode  up  among  the  guns  of  our  artillery  and  carefully  noted  the 
situation  of  affairs.  He  ordered  batteries  and  infantry  to  retire. 
Regiments  moved  steadily  by  the  right  of  companies  to  the  rear, 
the  batteries  moved  also  in  retreat.  A  rebel  line  in  our  front 
rose  up  from  the  ground  and  advanced  slowly  after  us.  It  was  a 
strange  sight,  our  blue  line  slowly  retreating,  and  the  long  gray 
line  slowly  and  quietly  following.  When  we  halted  and  formed 
again,  the  rebels  halted  and  lay  down  on  the  ground.  It  was 
growing  dark.  There  was  still  a  heavy  roll  of  musketry  to 
our  left  and  some  sharp  firing  on  our  right.  By  nine  o'clock,  all  had 
died  away.*  About  ten  o'clock,  General  Philip  Kearny  came  up 

CASUALTIES  IN  THE  BATTLES  OF  GAINESVILLE  AND  BULL  RUN. 


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4 

Sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers  

17 

4 

87 

11 

119 

Second  Wisconsin  Volunteers   

o 

51 

g 

905 

1 

SI 

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Seventh  Wisconsin  Volunteers  

1 

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1-15 

SS 

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Nineteenth  Indiana  Volunteers  

1 

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7 

161 

44 

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Total  

4 

144 

27 

598 

1 

119 

893 

75 

in  rear  of  our  regiment,  which  now  lay  across  the  Warrenton 
turnpike  near  the  stone  bridge  over  Bull  Run.  He  informed  us 
that  our  brigade  was  to  be  the  rear  guard  of  the  army  which  was 
in  full  retreat.  We  had  not  before  suspected  the  real  extent  of 
the  disaster.  General  Kearny  remained  with  us  anxiously 
watching  the  front,  and  Colonel  Bragg  and  I  had  much  conversa 
tion  with  him.  It  was  after  midnight  \vhen  we  started  for  the  rear. 
Mock  camp  fires  had  been  built  to  deceive  the  enemy.  We  lay 
down  to  rest  at  a  point  three  miles  from  the  battle  field  and  on 
the  early  morning  of  August  3ist,  we  drew  back  across  Cub 
Run,  forming  a  line  of  battle  on  the  eastern  bank.  About  noon 
of  that  day  we  marched  from  Cub  Run  to  Centreville.  We 
bivouacked  near  Centreville.  Late  at  night,  I  was  sent  out 
to  establish  a  line  of  pickets.  Our  men,  after  the  privations, 
labor,  and  intense  excitement  of  three  successive  days  in 
battle,  were  unfitted  for  such  duty.  One  man  placed  on  picket 
post  in  the  woods,  in  the  bewilderment  of  his  senses,  got  him 
self  faced  toward  our  camp  instead  of  toward  the  enemy.  When 
he  was  approached  by  his  comrades  to  relieve  him,  he  mis 
took  them  for  the  enemy  and  fired  upon  them  and  killed  Rudolph 
Fine  of  Company  "I." 

On  September  ist,  1862,  we  marched  six  miles  toward  Fairfax 
Court  House.  On  the  afternoon  of  this  day  occurred  the  battle 
of  Chantilly,  in  which  fell  General  Philip  Kearny.  We  were  in 
line  of  battle,  but  at  some  distance  to  the  right  of  the  troops 
engaged.  A  heavy  storm  was  prevailing  during  this  battle.  The 
noise  of  the  artillery  and  musketry  intermingling  with  the  roll 
of  very  sharp  thunder  produced  a  striking  effect.  The  darkness 
incident  to  a  sky  overcast  with  heavy,  rolling  clouds,  lighted  up 
alternately  by  flashes  of  lightning  and  the  flames  of  artillery, 
made  a  scene  long  to  be  remembered.  Several  wagon  trains 
became  jammed  together  on  the  turnpike  and  a  great  panic 
ensued.  Wagons  were  two  or  three  abreast,  and  the  mules  going 
at  a  full  gallop.  There  came  a  sudden  crash,  and  a  jam,  and 
wild  cursing  and  shouting  by  the  drivers. 

September  2nd,  we  marched  twelve  miles  to  Upton's  Hill, 
within  six  miles  of  Washington  and  went  into  position. 
As  the  column  approached  Upton's  Hill,  the  announcement 


76 

was  made  that  General  George  B.  McClellan  had  been  placed  in 
command  of  all  the  troops.  There  was  genuine  enthusiasm  at 
this  news.  General  John  P.  Hatch  who  was  commanding 
our  division,  swung  his  sword  and  called  for  cheers,  which  were 
given  with  an  uproarious  good  will  and  repeated.  Open  snearing 
at  General  Pope  was  heard  upon  all  sides.  It  began  with  the 
advent  of  the  troops  from  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  it 
spread  through  our  whole  body.  General  Pope  made  a  grave 
blunder  when  he  assailed  the  ingrained  hero  worship  ot  General 
McClellan,  which  possessed  our  troops.  The  force  of  this  feeling 
can  be  little  understood  now,  because  conditions  akin  to  those 
which  affected  us  have  passed  away.  Such  a  feeling,  as  that  for 
General  McClellan,  was  never  aroused  for  another  leader  in  the 
war.  An  intense  party  spirit  attended  these  conditions.  The 
Army  of  the  Potomac  was  smarting  under  criticism,  and  was 
disappointed  at  its  own  failure  to  meet  the  unduly  elevated  hopes 
and  expectations  of  the  people.  Richmond  had  not  been  taken. 
Pope  was  now  defeated,  and  there  were  those  even  in  high 
position,  who  seemed  to  glory  in  the  fact.  Those  were  dark  days 
for  the  administration  of  President  Lincoln.  He  pursued  the 
only  course  left  to  him,  and  he  acted  wisely  in  placing  General 
McClellan  again  in  command.  The  animadversions  against  the 
President  himself,  for  what  was  called  ''interference"  with  the 
plans  of  his  Generals,  were  common  and  severe  throughout  the 
army. 

(Letter.)  UPTON'S  HILL,  SEPTEMBER  5th,  1862. 

My  dear  mother: — "I  have  tried  in  several  ways  to  send  you 
word  of  my  safety.  We  have  had  a  terrible  ordeal.  We  were  in 
battle  or  skirmish  almost  every  day  from  August  2ist  to  3ist. 
Our  brigade  has  lost  eight  hundred  men;  our  regiment,  one 
hundred  and  twenty-five.  The  country  knows  how  nobly  our 
men  have  borne  themselves.  I  have  been  at  my  post  in  every 
battle." 

On  Upton's  Hill,  we  received  our  delayed  mail.  Colonel  Bragg 
found  several  letters  urging  him  to  stand  as  a  War  candidate  for 
congress.  From  Bragg's  reply  to  such  solicitation,  I  give  an 
extract:  "Say  to  Judge  Flint  that  I  shall  not  decline  a 
nomination  on  the  platform,  the  Government  must  be  sustained, 


7? 

but  my  services  can  not  be  taken  from  the  field.  I  command  the 
regiment,  and  can  not  leave  in  times  like  these."  Brave  words 
from  our  gallant  "little  Colonel." 

Colonel  Cutler  had  a  curious  experience  in  Washington,  which 
well-  illustrates  conditions  in  that  city  after  the  Pope  campaign, 
and  how  they  affected  the  temper  of  the  great  War  Minister, 
Edwin  M.  Stanton.  Colonel  Cutler  had  bought  a  new  uniform, 
and  as  soon  as  he  could  walk,  he  went  with  great  difficulty,  leaning 
on  two  canes,  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  Honorable  Secretary  of 
War.  The  office  of  the  Secretary  was,  as  usual,  crowded,  and  the 
Colonel  patiently  waited  for  his  turn  to  be  received.  As  the 
Colonel  approached,  the  Secretary,  with  a  glance  at  the  new  coat 
and  bright  brass  buttons,  blustered  out  as  only  Mr.  Stanton 
could,  "What  in  h — 1  and  -  -  nation  are  you  doing  in 
Washington  ?  Why  don't  you  go  to  your  regiment,  where  you 
are  needed?"  Colonel  Cutler  answered:  "If  I  had  not  been  shot 
and  a  fool,  I  would  never  have  come  here.  Good  day,  Mr. 
Secretary." 


IV. 

Army  Re-organized— General  Joseph  floolfer,  our  Corps  Com 
mander— Advance  to  Maryland— At  Frederick  City— Enthusiasm 
for  "Little  Mac"— On  to  South  Mountain— The  Battle  -Volleys  by 
Wing— All  Night  on  the  Field— Complimented  by  General  Mc- 
Clellan — On  to  Antietam — The  Battle — Captains  Brown  and 
Bachelle  Killed— Colonel  Bragg  Wounded— Terrible  Slaughter 
of  our  Regiment  at  Antietam  —Incidents. 

In  the  reorganization  of  the  army  which  took  place  at  Upton's 
Hill,  our  brigade  was  designated  as  *4th  brigade,  ist  division,  ist 
army  corps,  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  Army  of  Virginia, 
which  was  the  title  of  General  Pope's  command,  was  now 
obliterated.  General  John  P.  Hatch  was  in  command  of  our 
division,  and  that  magnificent  soldier,  General  Joseph  Hooker, 
commanded  our  first  army  corps.  Army  corps  from  this  time 
were  known  rather  by  their  numbers,  than  by  the  names  of  their 
commanders.  McDowell's  3rd  corps  was  changed  to  be  the  ist 
corps.  We  marched  from  Upton's  Hill  via  Washington  City,  and 
Rockville,  Maryland;  and  on  September  i2th,  1862,  I  wrote  to 
my  mother  from  L,isbon,  Maryland : 

"Our  army  is  moving  up  again  to  the  battle  field.  Probably 
before  this  reaches  you  the  conflict  will  be  over.  If  so,  you  will 
know  that  I  was  there.  My  health  is  good  and  I  am  ready  to 
take  my  chances.  Do  not  feel  that  our  task  is  easy  or  sure  of 
successful  accomplishment.  The  battle  will  be  desperate  and 
bloody,  and  upon  very  equal  terms.  Give  my  love  to  all." 

Our  camp  on  the  quiet  Sabbath  morning  of  September  i4th, 
1862,  was  in  the  valley  of  the  Monocacy,  near  Frederick, 
Maryland.  There  are  few  fairer  landscapes  in  our  country 
than  this  valley  affords  from  its  eastern  range  of  hills.  The 


*Page  170,  Volume  19,  Part  I,  War  Records,  Organization  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  In  our  brigade,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Bragg  com 
manded  the  sixth  Wisconsin,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Lucius  Fairchild,  the 
second  Wisconsin,  Captain  John  B.  Callis,  the  seventh  Wisconsin,  and 
Colonel  Solomon  Meredith  the  nineteenth  Indiana. 


morning  was  bright,  warm,  and  clear.  The  bells  of  the  city 
of  Frederick  were  all  ringing.  It  was  a  rejoicing  at  the 
advent  of  the  host  for  her  deliverance,  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  The  spires  of  the  city  were  glistening  in  the 
morning  sunlight.  To  the  south-west  could  be  distinctly  heard 
the  muttering  of  cannon.  This  was  General  Stonewall  Jackson 
attacking  the  garrison  at  Harper's  Ferry.  From  right  to  left 
along  the  valley  below  us,  were  stretched  the  swarming  camps  of 
the  blue  coats,  and  every  soldier  felt  his  courage  rise  at  the  sight. 
Through  a  wooded  and  uneven  country,  by  different  and  devious 
routes,  the  columns  of  the  grand  army  had  marched  forward. 
We  had  known  something  of  their  progress,  but  had  not  so  felt 
their  power  as  we  did  now  when  they  were  concentrating  before 
us.  The  deep  feeling  of  almost  affectionate  admiration  among 
the  soldiers  for  the  commander  of  our  army,  General  McClellan, 
was  often  thus  expressed:  "We  have  got  a  General  now,  and  we 
will  show  the  country  what  we  can  do." 

At  eight  o'clock  A.  M.,  our  brigade  marched  forward  on  the 
National  turnpike,  the  sixth  Wisconsin  in  advance.  Our  entry 
into  the  city  was  triumphal.  The  stars  and  stripes  floated  from 
every  building  and  hung  from  every  window.  The  joyful  people 
thronged  the  streets  to  greet  and  cheer  the  veterans  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac.  Little  children  stood  at  nearly  every  door, 
freely  offering  cool  water,  cakes,  pies  and  dainties.  The  jibes 
and  insults  of  the  women  of  Virginia,  to  which  our  men  had 
become  accustomed,  had  here  a  striking  contrast  in  a  generous 
and  enthusiastic  welcome  by  the  ladies  of  Frederick  City.  At 
eleven  A.  M.  we  reached  the  summit  of  the  Katoctin  mountain. 
Fences  and  trees  showed  marks  of  a  skirmish  of  the  evening 
before.  From  the  summit  of  this  mountain  a  splendid  view  was 
spread  before  us,  in  the  valley  of  Middleton.  Over  beyond  the 
valley,  eight  miles  away,  from  along  the  slopes  of  the  South 
Mountain,  we  could  see  arising  the  smoke  of  battle.  We  hurried 
along  down  the  road  toward  the  scene  of  action,  every  gun  of 
which  we  could  see  and  hear.  Our  march  through  the  little 
village  of  Middleton  was  almost  a  counterpart  of  our  reception 
at  Frederick  City.  The  people  were  more  excited  as  the  cannon 
boomed  loud  and  near,  and  bloodstained  soldiers  were  coming  in 


80 

from  the  field  of  battle.  Hearing  that  a  colonel  of  an  Ohio 
regiment  had  been  brought  in  to  Middleton,  wounded,  I  made  a 
special  inquiry  and  found  that  it  was  Lieutenant  Colonel  Hayes 
of  the  23rd  Ohio.  (Rutherford  B.  Hayes.)  We  marched  on 
beyond  Middleton  about  a  mile  and  a  half  and  then  turned  into 
a  field  to  make  our  coffee.  The  fires  were  not  kindled,  when  an 
order  came  to  fall  in  and  move  forward.  It  was  announced  that 
General  Hooker  had  said  "that  the  crest  of  that  mountain  must  be 
carried  to-night."  General  Hatch's  division  turned  from  the 
National  road  toward  the  right,  but  an  order  was  received 
assigning  Gibbon's  brigade  to  a  special  duty.  The  brigade 
countermarched  and  adva'nced  again  on  the  National  road  for 
half  a  mile.  We  then  turned  to  the  left  into  a  field  and  formed 
in  two  lines  of  battle.  The  seventh  Wisconsin  and  nineteenth 
Indiana  were  in  the  front  line;  the  second  and  sixth  Wisconsin 
in  the  second  line.  We  had  in  the  ranks  of  our  regiment  four 
hundred  men."  Simmon's  Ohio  battery,  planted  in  this  field,  was 
firing  shell  at  the  rebels  on  the  summit  of  South  Mountain. 
Before  us  was  a  valley,  beyond  which  by  a  steep  and  stony  slope, 
rose  the  South  Mountain  range.  From  our  position  to  the 
summit  of  South  Mountain  was  perhaps  two  miles.  Two  miles 
away  on  our  right,  long  lines  and  heavy  columns  of  dark  blue 
infantry  could  be  seen  pressing  up  the  green  slopes  of  the 
mountain,  their  bayonets  flashing  like  silver  in  the  rays  of  the 
setting  sun,  and  their  banners  waving  in  beautiful  relief  against 
the  background  of  green. 

BATTLE  OF  SOUTH  MOUNTAIN. 

Turner's  gap  through  which  the  National  turnpike  passes  over 
the  mountain,  was  directly  in  our  front.  To  attack  this  pass  was 
the  special  duty  for  which  we  had  been  selected.  To  our  left 
along  the  wooded  slopes,  there  was  a  crash  of  musketry,  and  the 
roll  of  cannon,  and  a  white  cloud  of  battle  smoke  rose  above  the 
trees.  From  Turner's  gap  in  our  front,  and  along  the  right  on 
the  summit  of  the  mountain,  the  artillery  of  the  enemy  was 
firing,  and  we  could  see  the  shells  bursting  over  and  among  our 
advancing  troops.  For  nearly  an  hour  we  laid  upon  the  grassy 
knoll,  passive  spectators  of  the  scene.  The  sun  was  sinking 
behind  the  mountain,  when  our  order  came  to  move  forward. 


81 

The  two  regiments  in  front  (yth  Wisconsin  and  igth  Indiana) 
moved  in  line  of  battle.  Our  regiment  and  the  2nd  Wisconsin 
followed  at  supporting  distance,  formed  in  double  columns. 
Thus  we  went  down  into  the  valley  and  began  to  climb  the  slope 
of  the  mountain,  which  was  smooth  at  first  and  co'vered  with 
orchards  and  cornfields.  The  regiment  was  halted  in  an  orchard 
and  two  companies  ("B,"  Captain  Rollin  P.  Converse  and  "K," 
Lieutenant  John  Ticknor)  were  sent  forward  as  skirmishers. 
Our  skirmishers  immediately  encountered  skirmishers  of  the 
enemy  and  drove  them  slowly  up  the  mountain,  fighting  for 
every  inch  of  the  ground.  Nothing  could  be  finer  than  the 
conduct  of  these  two  companies,  or  more  gallant  than  the 
bearing  of  their  young  leaders.  The  officer  commanding  the 
skirmishers  of  the  second  Wisconsin,  Captain  Wilson  Colwell, 
was  killed. 

For  half  a  mile  of  advance,  our  skirmishers  played  a  deadly 
game  of  "Bo-peep,"  hiding  behind  logs,  fences,  rocks  and  bushes. 
Two  pieces  of  artillery  of  battery  "B"  moved  up  on  the  turnpike 
under  Lieutenant  James  Stewart,  and  when  the  skirmishers  were 
checked,  they  would  wheel  into  action  and  fire  shell  at  the 
houses,  barns  or  thickets,  where  the  rebels  found  a  cover.  The 
enemy  now  turned  upon  us  the  fire  of  their  batteries,  planted  in 
the  pass  near  the  mountain  top,  but  their  shot  flew  over. 

General  Gibbon  mounted  upon  his  horse  and  riding  upon  high 
ground  where  he  could  see  his  whole  line,  shouted  orders  in  a 
voice  loud  and  clear  as  a  bell  and  distinctly  heard  throughout  the 
brigade.  It  was  always  "  Forward !  Forward !  "  Just  at 
dusk  we  came  to  a  rough,  stony  field,  skirted  on  its  upper  edge 
by  timber.  Our  skirmishers  had  encountered  the  enemy  in  force 
and  were  behind  a  fence.  The  seventh  Wisconsin  in  front  of  us, 
climbed  the  fence  and  moved  steadily  forward  across  the  field  and 
we  followed  them,  our  regiment  being  formed  in  double  column. 
Suddenly  the  seventh  Wisconsin  halted  and  opened  fire,  and  we 
could  see  a  rapid  spitting  of  musketry  flashes  from  the  woods 
above  and  in  front  of  us,  and  wounded  men  from  the  seventh 
began  to  hobble  by  us.  The  sharpest  fire  came  from  a  stone 
wall,  running  along  in  a  ravine  toward  the  left  of  the  seventh. 
Captain  John  B.  Callis  was  in  command  of  that  regiment.  He 


ordered  a  change  of  front,  throwing  his  right  forward  to  face  the 
wall;  but  there  burst  from  the  woods,  skirting  the  right  of  the 
field,  a  flame  of  musketry  which  sent  a  shower  of  bullets  into 
the  backs  of  the  men  of  the  right  wing  of  the  seventh  Wisconsin. 
Many  men  were  shot  by  the  enfilading  fire  to  which  they  could 
make  no  reply.  Captain  Hollon  Richardson  came  running 
toward  us  shouting:  "Come  forward,  sixth!"  Sharp  and  clear 
rang  out  on  the  night,  the  voice  of  Bragg:  "Deploy  column! 
By  the  right  and  left  flanks^  double  quick,  march!"  The  living 
machine  responded. to  this  impulsive  force  with  instant  action, 
and  the  column  was  deployed  into  line  of  battle.  The  right 
wing  of  our  regiment  came  into  open  field,  but  the  left  wing  was 
behind  the  seventh.  "Major!"  ordered  Bragg,  "take  command 
of  the  right  wing  and  fire  on  the  woods!"  I  instantly  ordered: 
"Attention,  right  wing,  ready,  right  oblique,  aim,  fire,  load  at 
will,  load!"  The  roll  of  this .  wing  volley  had  hardly  ceased  to 
reverberate,  when  Bragg  said:  "Have  your  men  lie  down  on  the 
ground,  I  am  going  over  you."  "Right  wing,  lie  down!  Look  out, 
the  left  wing  is  going  over  you  !"  was  the  command.  Bragg  had 
brought  the  left  wing  behind  the  right  wing  and  he  ordered  them 
forward  over  the  men  of  the  right  wing  as  they  laid  upon  the 
ground.  The  left  wing  fired  a  volley  into  the  woods,  and  the 
right  wing  advanced  in  the  same  manner  over  them  and  fired  a 
volley  into  the  woods.  Once  more  Bragg  gave  a  volley  by  the 
left  wing.  There  were  four  volleys  by  wing  given,  at  the  word 
of  command.  In  a  long  experience  in  musketry  fighting,  this 
was  the  single  instance  I  saw  of  other  than  a  fire  by  file  in  battle. 
The  characteristic  of  Colonel  Bragg  in  battle,  was  a  remarkably 
quick  conception  and  instant  action.  The  conduct  of  the  men 
was  worthy  of  their  commander.  In  the  deployment  of  the 
column  under  fire,  they  hurried  over  the  rough  and  stony  field 
with  the  utmost  zeal,  and  while  many  men  were  struck  by  the 
bullets  of  the  enemy,  there  was  neither  hesitation  nor  confusion. 
After  the  four  volleys  by  wing  and  a  welcome  cheer  by  the 
seventh  Wisconsin,  there  was  positive  enthusiasm.  Our  whole 
line  was  slowly  advanced  up  the  mountain,  the  men  shouting  and 
firing.  The  rebels  behind  the  stone  wall  and  in  the  timber 
would  shout :  "O,  you  d d  Yanks,  we  gave  you  h — 11  again 


HON.  JOHN  B.CALLIS. 


83 

at  Bull  Run!"  Our  men  would  shout  back:  "Never  mind 
Johnny,  its  no  McDowell  after  you  now.  'Little  Mac'  and 
'Johnny  Gibbon'  are  after  you  now."  The  rebels  fell  back  from 
the  woods,  but  stuck  to  the  stone  wall.  The  hostile  lines  had 
approached  each  other  closely  and  the  fire  was  deadly.  It  was 
dark  and  our  only  aim  was  by  the  flashes  of  the  enemy's  guns. 
Many  of  our  men  were  falling,  and  we  could  not  long  endure  it. 
Colonel  Bragg  took  the  left  wing,  directing  me  to  keep  up  the 
fire  with  the  right  wing,  and  crept  up  into  the  woods  on  our 
right,  advancing  a  considerable  distance  up  the  mountain.  He 
gained  higher  ground  than  that  of  the  enemy  in  our  front,  and 
from  this  position  opened  fire. 

Colonel  Bragg  directed  me  to  join  him  with  the  right  wing. 
Owing  to  the  thick  brush  and  the  darkness  of  the  night,  it  was  a 
difficult  matter  to  scramble  up  the  stony  side  of  the  mountain. 
To  add  to  our  difficulties,  the  rebels  opened  fire  upon  us;  but 
our  gallant  left  wing  fired  hotly  in  return  and  the  junction  was 
completed.  Our  cartridges  were  getting  short  and  our  guns 
were  dirty  with  bad  powder.  Gradually  by  direction  of  Colonel 
Bragg  we  ceased  firing  and  lay  still  on  the  ground.  A  man  in 
company  "A"  exclaimed:  "Captain  Noyes,  I  am  out  of  cart 
ridges!"  It  is  likely  that  the  enemy  in' the  woods  above  us 
heard  him,  for  they  immediately  opened  upon  us  a  heavy  fire. 
We  returned  the  fire,  and  for  a  short  time  the  contest  was  very 
sharp.  This  was  the  last  of  the  battle.  When  all  was  again 
still,  Colonel  Bragg  felt  sure  that  he  could  hear  the  enemy  with 
drawing.  He  ordered,  "Three  cheers  for  the  Badger  State." 
They  were  given  and  brought  no  reply.  A  few  volunteer 
skirmishers  crept  forward  into  the  woods  in  front  of  us.  Further 
pursuit  was  impossible.  We  were  nearly  out  of  ammunition  and 
our  guns  so  dirty  that  we  could  hardly  use  them.  We  lay 
among  thick  bushes  on  the  steep  rough  slope  of  a  mountain  in 
almost  total  darkness. 

We  did  not  dare  to  let  the  men  sleep.  Colonel  Bragg  sent  to 
General  Gibbon  for  ammunition.  General  Gibbon  replied  that 
it  was  impossible  for  him  to  furnish  it,  but  that  he  hoped  that  we 
would  soon  be  relieved  by  other  troops.  He  said  that  we  must 
hold  the  position  we  had  gained  so  long  as  there  was  "an  inch  of 


84 

our  bayonets  left."  The  night  was  chilly,  and  in  the  woods 
intensely  dark.  Our  wounded  were  scattered  over  a  great 
distance  up  and  down  the  mountain,  and  were  suffering  untold 
agonies.  Owing  to  the  difficulties  of  the  ground  and  the  night, 
no  stretcher  bearers  had  come  upon  the  field.  Several  dying 
men  were  pleading  piteously  for  water,  of  which  there  was  not  a 
drop  in  the  regiment,  nor  was  there  any  liquor.  Captain 
Kellogg  and  I  searched  in  vain  for  a  swallow  for  one  noble 
fellow*  who  was  dying  in  great  agony  from  a  wound  in  his 
bowels.  He  recognized  us  and  appreciated  our  efforts,  but  was 
unable  to  speak.  The  dread  reality  of  war  was  before  us  in  this 
frightful  death,  upon  the  cold,  hard  stones.  The  mortal  suffering, 
the  fruitless  struggle  to  send  a  parting  message  to  the  far-off 
home,  and  the  final  release  by  death,  all  enacted  in  the  darkness, 
were  felt  even  more  deeply  than  if  the  scene  had  been  relieved 
by  the  light  of  day.  After  a  long  interval  of  this  horror,  our 
stretcher  bearers  came,  and  the  poor  suffering  heroes  were  carried 
back  to  houses  and  barns.  At  last  word  came  that  General 
Sumner's  troops  were  marching  up  the  mountain  to  relieve  us. 
How  glad  we  were  to  hear  it,  they  only  can  know  who  have 
experienced  the  feeling  of  prostration  produced  by  such  scenes 
and  surroundings,  after  the  excitement  of  a  bloody  battle.  It 
was  after  midnight,  and  it  seemed  to  us  bitterly  cold.  The  other 
regiments  of  our  brigade  had  marched  down  the  mountain,  but 
our  relief — where  was  it?  We  sent  Adjutant  Brooks  to  General 
Gibbon,  who  said  that  our  relief  had  been  ordered,  and  would 
certainly  come.  But  it  did  not  come.  Colonel  Bragg  finally  sent 
Adjutant  Brooks  to  Brigadier  General  Willis  A.  Gorman,  the 
brigade  commander,  who  had  orders  to  relieve  us.  The  Adjutant 
reported  that  he  offered  to  lead  the  way  to  prevent  the  possibility 
of  confusion  or  mistake,  but  that  General  Gorman's  reply  was: 
"I  can't  send  men  into  that  woods  to-night.  All  men  are  cowards 
in  the  dark."  He  forgot  that  the  men  whom  he  condemned  to 
shivering  and  misery  for  the  rest  of  the  night  had  fought  and 
won  a  bloody  battle  in  the  dark.  We  were  not  relieved  until 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  September  i5th,  when  the  2nd 

*William  Lawrence  of  company  "I." 


85 

New  York  regiment  of  Gorman's  brigade  came  up.  As  soon  as 
it  became  daylight,  we  examined  the  field  of  battle,  and  found 
many  dead  and  wounded  rebels.  The  troops  opposed  to  us  were 
five  regiments  of  a  brigade  commanded  by  Colonel  A.  H. 
Colquitt,  the  6th,  23rd,  26th  and  28th  Georgia,  and  1 3th  Alabama 
regiments.  One  rebel  soldier  from  Georgia,  wounded  in  the 
head,  his  face  a  gore  of  blood,  fled  from  us  as  we  approached. 
We  could  hardly  persuade  him  that  it  was  not  our  purpose  to  kill 
him.* 

General  George  B.  McClellan  was  stationed  in  the  same  field 
where  Simmon's  Ohio  battery  was  planted  and  he  had  watched  our 
brigade  in  the  engagement.  He  wrote  the  following  to  the 
Governor  of  Wisconsin :  "I  beg  to  add  my  great  admiration  of 
the  conduct  of  the  three  Wisconsin  regiments  in  General  Gibbon's 
brigade.  I  have  seen  them  under  fire  acting  in  a  manner  that 
reflects  the  greatest  possible  credit  and  honor  upon  themselves  and 
their  state.  They  are  equal  to  the  best  troops  in  any  army  in  the 
world." 

After  being  relieved  by  the  second  New  York  we  marched 
down  the  mountain  to  the  National  turnpike  and  the  men  began 
to  build  fires  to  make  coffee  and  cook  their  breakfast,  but  we 
were  ordered  to  march  immediately  to  the  Mountain  House  on 
the  top  of  South  Mountain.  It  was  hard,  but  the  men  fell  in 
promptly  and  marched  along  munching  dry  hardtack.  It  was 
now  24  hours  since  they  had  had  their  coffee.  Our  brigade  was 
put  by  General  Hooker  in  the  advance  in  the  pursuit  of  the 
enemy  and  our  regiment  marched  at  the  head  of  the  column. 
We  pushed  along  the  turnpike  down  the  western  slope  of  the 
mountain.  Presently  old  gray  haired  men,  citizens  of  Maryland, 
came  rushing  up  to  meet  us.  They  seemed  almost  frantic  with 
joy.  They  swung  their  hats  and  laughed  and  cried  without  re 
gard  for  appearances.  One  respectable  old  gentleman  who  trot- 

*Official  reports  of  action  at  South  Mountain,  niav  be  found  in  Volume 
19,  Part  I,  War  Records. 

General  John  Gibbon, Page  247. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  E.  S.  Bragg,  ?    253. 

Captain  John  B.  Callis, '     257. 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Lucius  Fairchild,  '     252. 

Colonel  Solomon  Meredith, *     266. 

Colonel  A.  H.  Colquitt,  confederate, '  1052. 


86 

ted  along  beside  my  horse  said  ;  "We  have  watched  for  you,  Sir, 
and  we  have  prayed  for  you  and  now  thank  God  you  have  come." 

Here  his  feelings  got  the  better  of  him  and  he  mounted  a  bank 
and  began  to  shout.  The  last  I  saw  of  him,  he  was  shouting  and 
thanking  God  and  the  igth  Indiana  was  responding  with  lusty 
cheers.  As  we  approached  the  village  of  Boonesboro,  it  seemed 
deserted,  but  when  our  column  entered  the  streets,  doors  and 
windows  flew  open  and  the  people  thronged  out  to  greet  us. 
Flags  that  had  been  hictden  in  the  darkest  corner  were  now  un 
furled.  These  people  informed  us  that  the  rebel  infantry  had 
passed  through  the  town  in  haste  and  in  much  disorder.  Colonels 
were  in  some  cases,  they  said,  carrying  regimental  banners.  They 
said  that  General  Lee  was  present  when  the  retreat  commenced. 
We  turned  to  the  left  in  Boonesboro  toward  Antietam  creek. 
Our  cavalry  in  front  were  picking  up  hundreds  of  prisoners, 
stragglers  and  wounded  men  from  the  retreating  army.  We 
pushed  on  five  or  six  miles,  passing  through  the  village  of 
Keedysville.  When  we  were  on  the  hill  west  of  that  place,  the 
rebels  opened  fire  on  us  from  batteries  planted  in  front  of  the 
village  of  Sharpsburg.  We  turned  off  the  turnpike  into  a  field 
and  marched  into  a  ravine,  where  we  had  protection.  Still  frag 
ments  of  bursting  shell  fell  thick  in  the  fields  around  us.  Our 
batteries  came  galloping  along  the  turnpike  and  wheeling  rapidly 
into  position  along  a  ridge  they  returned  the  fire  of  the  rebel 
artillery.  Unmindful  of  this  clatter,  our  men  rallied  for  the 
fences  and  building  fires  made  their  much  needed  coffee  with 
little  regard  for  the  fragments  of  shell  flying  around. 

After  drinking  coffee  I  went  up  to  the  ridge  where  our 
batteries  were  firing  upon  the  enemy.  I  could  see  on  the  hills 
beyond  the  creek  (Antietam)  a  rebel  line  of  battle  stretching 
over  the  fields.  General  Joseph  Hooker  was  there  at  this  time 
with  his  field-glass  and  I  heard  him  say  that  from  appearances  the 
force  of  the  enemy  was  at  least  forty  thousand.  It  was  now 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  We  marched  up  the  Antietam 
more  out  of  range  of  the  rebel  batteries  and  bivouacked  for  the 
night.  Our  greatly  exhausted  men  were  soon  sound  asleep.  At 
several  times  during  the  i6th  of  September  the  cannonading  was 
heavy  and  from  our  position,  we  had  a  good  view  of  the  combat. 


87 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  General  Hooker's  army 
corps  began  to  cross  Antietam  Creek.  The  division  of  Pennsyl 
vania  Reserves  crossed  on  the  bridge  above  Keedysville,  while 
General  Doubleday's*  division,  to  which  we  belonged,  forded  the 
creek  at  a  shallow  place  below.  The  troops  advanced  slowly 
toward  the  Sharpsburg  and  Hagerstown  Turnpike.  We  passed 
over  open  fields  and  through  orchards  and  gardens,  and  the  men 
filled  their  pockets  and  empty  haversacks  with  apples.  About 
dusk,  sharp  musketry  and  cannonading  began  in  our  front.  It 
was  nine  o'clock  at  night  when  our  brigade  reached  the  position 
assigned  it.  The  men  laid  down  upon  the  ground,  formed  in 
close  column,  muskets  loaded  and  lines  parallel  with  the  turnpike. 
Once  or  twice  during  the  night,  heavy  volleys  of  musketry 
crashed  in  the  dark  woods  on  our  left.  There  was  a  drizzling 
rain,  and  with  the  certain  prospect  of  deadly  conflict  on  the 
morrow,  the  night  was  dismal.  Nothing  can  be  more  solemn 
than  a  period  of  silent  waiting  for  the  summons  to  battle,  known 
to  be  impending. 

About  daylight,  General  Doubleday  came  galloping  along  the 
line,  and  he  ordered  that  our  brigade  be  moved  at  once  out  of  its 
position.  He  said  we  were  in  open  range  of  the  rebel  batteries. 
The  men  were  in  a  heavy  slumber.  After  much  shaking  and 
kicking  and  hurrying,  they  were  aroused,  and  stood  up  in  their 
places  in  the  lines.  Too  much  noise  was  probably  made,  which 
appears  to  have  aroused,  the  enemy.  The  column  hurriedly 
changed  direction,  according  to  orders,  and  commenced  moving 
away  from  the  perilous  slope  which  faced  the  hostile  batteries. 

We  had  marched  ten  rods,  when  whiz-z-z !  bang !  burst  a  shell 
over  our  heads;  then  another;  then  a  percussion  shell  struck 
and  exploded  in  the  very  center  of  the  moving  mass  of  men.  It 
killed  two  men  and  wounded  eleven.  It  tore  off  Captain  David 
K.  Noyes's  foot,  and  cut  off  both  arms  of  a  man  in  his  company. 
This  dreadful  scene  occurred  within  a  few  feet  of  where  I  was 
riding,  and  before  my  eyes.  The  column  pushed  on  without  a 
halt,  and  in  another  moment  had  the  shelter  of  a  barn.f  Thus 

*General  Doubleday  succeeded  General  J.  P.  Hatch,  wounded  at  South 
Mountain. 

tPofienberger's  barn. 


88 

opened  the  first  firing  of  the  great  battle  of  Antietam,  in  the 
early  morning  of  September  lyth,  1862.  The  regiment  continued 
moving  forward  into  a  strip  of  woods,  where  the  column  was' 
deployed  into  line  of  battle.  The  artillery  fire  had  now  increased 
to  the  roar  of  an  hundred  cannon.  Solid  shot  and  shell  whistled 
through  the  trees  above  us,  cutting  off  limbs  which  fell  about  us. 
In  front  of  the  woods  was  an  open  field;  beyond  this  was  a 
house,  surrounded  by  peach  and  apple  trees,  a  garden,  and  out 
houses,  f  The  rebel  skirmishers  were  in  this  cover,  and  they 
directed  upon  us  a  vigorous  fire.  But  company  "I"  deployed  as 
skirmishers,  under  command  of  Captain  John  A.  Kellogg,  dashed 
across  the  field  at  a  full  run  and  drove  them  out,  and  the  line  of 
the  regiment  pushed  on  over  the  green  open  field,  the  air  above 
our  heads  filled  with  the  screaming  missiles  of  the  contending 
batteries.  The  right  of  the  regiment  was  now  on  the  Sharps- 
burg  and  Hagerstown  Turnpike.  The  left  wing  was  obstructed 
in  its  advance  by  the  picket  fence  around  the  garden  before 
mentioned.  As  the  right  wing  passed  on,  I  ordered  the  men  of 
the  left  wing  to  take  hold  all  together  arid  pull  down  the  fence. 
They  were  unable  to  do  so.  I  had,  therefore,  to  pass  the  left 
wing  by  the  flank  through  a  gate  with  the  utmost  haste,  and 
form  again  in  the  garden.  Here  Captain  Edwin  A.  Brown,  of 
company  "E,"  was  instantly  killed.  There  is  in  my  mind  as  I 
write,  the  spectacle  of  a  young  officer,  with  uplifted  sword, 
shouting  in  a  loud  imperative  voice  the  order  I  had  given  him, 
"Company  'E,'  on  the  right  by  file  into  line  !"  A  bullet  passes 
into  his  open  mouth,  and  the  voice  is  forever  silent.  I  urged  the 
left  wing  forward  with  all  possible  speed.  The  men  scrambled 
over  briars  and  flower-beds  in  the  garden.  Beyond  the  garden, 
we  entered  a  peach  orchard.  I  hurried  forward  to  a  rail  fence 
skirting  the  front  edge  of  the  orchard,  where  we  overtook  the 
right  wing.  Before  us  was  a  strip  of  open-field,  beyond  which 
on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  turnpike,  was  rising  ground,  covered 
by  a  large  cornfield,  the  stalks  standing  thick  and  high.  The 
rebel  skirmishers  ran  into  the  corn  as  we  appeared  at  the  fence. 
Owing  to  our  headlong  advance,  we  were  far  ahead  of  the 

tDavid  E.  Miller's  house. 


89 

general  lines  of  battle.  They  were  in  open  fields,  and  we  had 
the  cover  of  the  houses  and  orchard.  Colonel  Bragg,  however, 
with  his  usual  battle  ardor,  ordered  the  regiment  forward.  We 
climbed  the  fence,  moved  across  the  open  space,  and  pushed  on 
into  the  corn-field.  The  three  right  companies  of  the  regiment 
were  crowded  -into  an  open  field  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the 
turnpike.  Thus  we  pushed  up  the  hill  to  the  middle  of  the 
corn-field. 

At  this  juncture,  the  companies  of  the  right  wing  received  a 
deadly  fire  from  the  woods  on  their  right.  To  save  them,  Colonel 
Bragg,  with  a  quickness  and  coolness  equal  to  the  emergency, 
caused  them  to  change  front  and  form  behind  the  turnpike  fence, 
from  whence  they  returned  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  Meanwhile,  I 
halted  the  left  wing,  and  ordered  them  to  lie  down  on  the  ground. 
The  bullets  began  to  clip  through  the  corn,  and  spin  through  the 
soft  furrows — thick,  almost,  as  hail.  Shells  burst  around  us,  the 
fragments  tearing  up  the  ground,  and  canister  whistled  through 
the  corn  above  us.  Lieutenant  Bode  of  company  "F,"  was 
instantly  killed,  and  Lieutenant  John  Ticknor  was  badly 
wounded.  Sergeant  Major  Howard  J.  Huntington  now  came 
running  to  me  through  the  corn.  He  said:  "Major,  Colonel 
Bragg  wants  to  see  you,  quick,  at  the  turnpike."  I  ran  to  the 
fence  in  time  to  hear  Bragg  say:  "Major,  I  am  shot,"  before  he 
fell  upon  the  ground.  I  saw  a  tear  in  the  side  of  his  overcoat 
which  he  had  on.  I  feared  that  he  was  shot  through  the  body. 
I  called  two  men  from  the  ranks,  who  bundled  him  quickly  into 
a  shelter  tent,  and  hurried  away  with  him.  Colonel  Bragg  was 
shot  in  the  first  fire  from  the  woods  and  his  nerve,  in  standing  up 
under  the  shock  until  he  had  effected  the  maneuver  so  necessary 
for  the  safety  of  his  men,  was  wonderful.  I  felt  a  great  sense  of 
responsibility,  when  thrown  thus  suddenly  in  command  of  the 
regiment  in  the  face  of  a  terrible  battle.  I  stood  near  the  fence 
in  the  corn-field,  overlooking  the  companies  on  the  turnpike 
which  were  firing  on  the  enemy  in  the  woods,  and  where  I  could 
see  the  left  wing  also.  I  noticed  a  group  of  mounted  rebel 
officers,  whom  I  took  to  be  a  general  and  staff.  I  took  a  rest 
over  the  turnpike  fence,  and  fired  six  shots  at  the  group,  the  men 
handing  me  loaded  muskets.  They  suddenly  scattered. 


90 

Our  lines  on  the  left  now  came  sweeping  forward  through  the 
corn  and  the  open  fields  beyond.  I  ordered  my  men  up  to  join 
in  the  advance,  and  commanded:  "Forward — guide  left — march!" 
We  swung  away  from  the  turnpike,  and  I  sent  the  sergeant- 
major  (Howard  J.  Huntington)  to  Captain  Kellogg,  commanding 
the  companies  on  the  turnpike,  with  this  order :  "If  it  is  prac 
ticable,  -move  forward  the  right  companies,  aligning  with  the 
left  wing."  Captain  Kellogg  said:  "Please  give  Major  Dawes 
my  compliments,  and  say  it  is  impracticable;  the  fire  is 
murderous." 

As  we  were  getting  separated,  I  directed  Sergeant  Huntington 
to  tell  Captain  Kellogg  that  he  could  get  cover  in  the  corn,  and 
to  join  us,  if  possible.  Huntington  was  struck  by  a  bullet,  but 
delivered  the  order.  Kellogg  ordered  his  men  up,  but  so  many 
were  shot  that  he  ordered  them  down  again  at  once.  While  this 
took  place  on  the  turnpike,  our  companies  were  marching 
forward  through  the  thick  corn,  on  the  right  of  a  long  line  of 
battle.  Closely  following  was  a  second  line.  At  the  front  edge 
of  the  corn-field  was  a  low  Virginia  rail  fence.  Before  the  corn 
were  open  fields,  beyond  which  was  a  strip  of  woods  surrounding 
a  little  church,  the  Dunkard  church.  As  we  appeared  at  the 
edge  of  the  corn,  a  long  line  of  men  in  butternut  and  gray  rose 
up  from  the  ground.  Simultaneously,  the  hostile  battle  lines 
opened  a  tremendous  fire  upon  each  other.  Men,  I  can  not  say 
fell;  they  were  knocked  out  of  the  ranks  by  dozens.  But  we 
jumped  over  the  fence,  and  pushed  on,  loading,  firing,  and 
shouting  as  we  advanced.  There  was,  on  the  part  of  the  men, 
great  hysterical  excitement,  eagerness  to  go  forward,  and  a  reck 
less  disregard  of  life,  tof  every  thing  but  victory.  Captain 
Kellogg  brought  his  companies  up  abreast  of  us  on  the  turnpike. 

The  Fourteenth  Brooklyn  Regiment,  red  legged  Zouaves,  came 
into  our  line,  closing  the  awful  gaps.  Now  is  the  pinch.  Men 
and  officers  of  New  York  and  Wisconsin  are  fused  into  a  common 
mass,  in  the  frantic  struggle  to  shoot  fast.  Every  body  tears 
cartridges,  loads,  passes  guns,  or  shoots.  Men  are  falling  in  their 
places  or  running  back  into  the  corn.  The  soldier  who  is  shoot 
ing  is  furious  in  his  energy.  The  soldier  who  is  shot  looks 
around  for  help  with  an  imploring  agony  of  death  on  his  face. 


91 

<t 

After  a  few  rods  of  advance,  the  line  stopped  and,  by  common 
impulse,  fell  back  to  the  edge  of  the  corn  and  lay  down  on  the 
ground  behind  the  low  rail  fence.  Another  line  of  our  men 
came  up  through  the  corn.  We  all  joined  together,  jumped  over 
the  fence,  and  again  pushed  out  into  the  open  field.  There  is  a 
rattling  fusilade  and  loud  cheers.  "Forward"  is  the  word.  The 
men  are  loading  and  firing  with  demoniacal  fury  and  shouting 
and  laughing  hysterically,  and  the  whole  field  before  us  is  covered 
with  rebels  fleeing  for  life,  into  the  woods.  Great  numbers  of 
them  are  shot  while  climbing  over  the  high  post  and  rail  fences 
along  the  turnpike.  We  push  on  over  the  open  fields  half  way 
to  the  little  church.  The  powder  is  bad,  and  the  guns  have 
become  very  dirty.  It  takes  hard  pounding  to  get  the  bullets 
down,  arid  our  firing  is  becoming  slow.  A  long  and  steady  line 
of  rebel  gray,  unbroken  by  the  fugitives  who  fly  before  us, 
comes  sweeping  down  through  the  woods  around  the  church. 
*They  raise  the  yell  and  fire.  It  is  like  a  scythe  running  through 
our  line.  "Now,  save,  who  can."  It  is  a  race  for  life  that  each 
man  runs  for  the  cornfield.  A  sharp  cut,  as  of  a  switch,  stings 
the  calf  of  my  leg  as  I  run.  Back  to  the  corn,  and  back  through 
the  corn,  the  headlong  flight  continues.  At  the  bottom  of  the 
hill,  I  took  the  blue  color  of  the  state  of  Wisconsin,  and  waving 
it,  called  a  rally  of  Wisconsin  men.  Two  hundred  men  gathered 
around  the  flag  of  the  Badger  state.  Across  the  turnpike  just  in 
front  of  the  haystacks,  two  guns  of  Battery  "B,"  4th  U.  S. 
artillery  were  in  action.  The  pursuing  rebels  were  upon  them. 
General  John  Gibbon,  our  brigade  commander,  who  in  regular 
service  was  captain  of  this  battery,  grimed  and  black  with 
powder  smoke  in  himself  sighting  these  guns  of  his  old  battery, 
comes  running  to  me,  "Here,  major,  move  your  men  over,  we 
must  save  these  guns."  I  commanded  "Right  face,  forward 
march,"  and  started  ahead  with  the  colors  in  my  hand  into 
the  open  field,  the  men  following.  As  I  entered  the  field,  a 
report  as  of  a  thunderclap  in  my  ear  fairly  stunned  me.  This 
was  Gibbon's  last  shot  at  the  advancing  rebels.  The  cannon  was 
double  charged  with  canister.  The  rails  of  the  fence  flew  high 
in  the  air.  A  line  of  union  blue  charged  swiftly  forward  from 

*Hood's  old  Texas  brigade,  and  Law's  brigade. 


92 

our  right  across  the  field  in  front  of  the  battery,  and  into  the 
corn-field.  They  drove  back  the  rebels  who  were  firing  upon  us. 
It  was  our  own  gallant  igth  Indiana,  and  here  fell  dead  their 
leader,  Lieutenant  Colonel  A.  F.  Bachman;  but  the  youngest 
captain  in  their  line,  William  W.  Dudley,  stepped  forward  and 
led  on  the  charge.  I  gathered  my  men  on  the  turnpike,  reor 
ganized  them,  and  reported  to  General  Doubleday,  who  was 
himself  there.  He  ordered  me  to  move  back  to  the  next  woods 
in  the  rear,  to  remain  and  await  instruction.  Bullets,  shot, 
and  shell,  fired  by  the  enemy  in  the  corn-field,  were  still  flying 
thickly  around  us,  striking  the  trees  in  this  woods,  and  cutting 
off  the  limbs.  I  placed  my  men  under  the  best  shelter  I  could 
find,  and  here  we  figured  up,  as  nearly  as  we  could,  our  dreadful 
losses  in  the  battle.  Three  hundred  and  fourteen  officers  and 
men  had  marched  with  us  into  battle.  There  had  been  killed 
and  wounded,  one  hundred  and  fifty-two.  Company  "C" 
under  Captain  Hooe,  thirty-five  men,  was'  not  in  the  fight  in 
front  of  the  corn-field.  That  company  was  on  skirmish  duty 
farther  to  our  right.  In  this  service  they  lost  two  men.  Of  two 
hundred  and  eighty  men  who  were  at  the  corn-field  and  turnpike, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  were  killed  or  wounded.  This  was  the 
most  dreadful  slaughter  to  which  our  regiment  was  subjected  in 
the  war.  We  were  joined  in  the  woods  by  Captain  Ely,  who 
reported  to  me,  as  the  senior  officer  present,  with  the  colors  and 
eighteen  men  of  the  second  Wisconsin.  They  represented  what 
remained  for  duty  of  that  gallant  regiment. 

The  roar  of  musketry  to  the  front  about  the  corn-field  and  the 
Dunkard  church  had  again  become  heavy.  Stragglers  and 
wounded  streamed  in  troops  toward  the  rear.  This  tide  growing 
momentarily  stronger,  General  Gibbon  directed  me  to  form  a 
line  of  the  whole  brigade,  perhaps  five  hundred  men  present,  to 
drive  back,  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  all  men  who  were  fit  for 
duty  at  the  front.  But,  soon,  the  troops  engaged  about  the 
Dunkard  church  fell  back,  and  the  whole  line  was  formed  in  rear 
of  batteries,  planted  on  the  ridge  near  Poffenberger's  house.  We 
were  on  the  ground  from  which,  at  the  early  dawn,  our  regiment 
had  moved  forward  to  begin  the  battle. 

At  the  very  farthest  point  of  advance  on  the  turnpike,  Captain 


Werner  Von  Bachelle,  commanding  Company  F,  was  shot  dead. 
Captain  Bachelle  was  an  ex-officer  of  the  French  army.  Brought 
up  as  a  soldier  in  the  Napoleonic  school,  he  was  imbued  with  the 
doctrine  of  fatalism.  His  soldierly  qualities  commanded  the 
respect  of  all,  and  his  loss  was  deeply  felt  in  the  regiment. 
Bachelle  had  a  fine  Newfoundland  dog,  which  had  been  trained 
to  perform  military  salutes  and  many  other  remarkable  things. 
In  camp,  on  the  march,  and  in  the  line  of  battle,  this  dog  was 
his  constant  companion.  The  dog  was  by  his  side  when  he  fell. 
Our  line  of  men  left  the  body  when  they  retreated,  but  the  dog 
stayed  with  his  dead  master,  and  was  found  on  the  morning  of 
the  i  gth  of  September  lying  dead  upon  his  body.  We  buried 
him  with  his  master.  So  far  as  we  knew,  no  family  or  friends 
mourned  for  poor  Bachelle,  and  it  is  probable  that  he  was  joined  in 
death  by  his  most  devoted  friend  on  earth. 

It  was  about  noon  when  we  got  to  our  position  in  rear  of  the 
batteries,  and  we  were  greatly  astonished  and  rejoiced  to  meet 
here  our  gallant  L,ieut.  Colonel,  Edward  S.  Bragg,  who  had  come 
back  to  join  us  on  the  field  of  battle.  He  was  severely  wounded  and 
unfit  for  duty,  but  he  was  there,  and  we  had  believed  him  to  be  dead. 

Captain  John  A.  Kellogg  showed  great  ability  as  a  commander 
of  men  in  battle.  He  rallied  several  hundred  stragglers  of  every 
regiment  engaged  and  organized  them  as  a  regiment ;  posting  his 
line  behind  a  stone  wall  on  the  right  hand  side  of  the  turnpike 
near  the  Poffenberger  house.  He  did  this  while  I  was  deploying 
the  brigade  to  stop  stragglers,  as  ordered  by  General  Gibbon. 
General  Doubleday,  our  division  commander,  seeing  his  line  and 
not  knowing  how  to  account  for  it,  galloped  up  shouting,  "What 
regiment  is  this  ?"  "A  regiment  of  stragglers,  Sir,"  said  Kellogg. 
"Have  you  any  orders?"  "Stick  to  the  stone  wall."  Captains 
P.  W.  Plummer  and  Rollin  P.  Converse,  Lieutenants  Charles  P. 
Hyatt,  L,yman  B.  Upham  and  Howard  V.  Pruyn  were  always  in 
the  lead.  But  the  same  is  true  of  all  of  our  line  officers 
who  were  there.  Whoever  stood  in  front  of  the  corn  field  at 
Antietam  needs  no  praise.  Captain  Converse  was  shot 
through  both  thighs,  as  we  were  about  to  advance  in  pursuit  of 
the  running  rebels.  He  convulsively  threw  his  sword  into  the 
soft  ground  and  said,  "Hyatt,  I  can't  run  after  them,  I  am  shot, 


94 

take  command,"  and  he  hobbled  off,  refusing  help. 

The  excitement  of  the  men  at  the  point  of  the  battle  when 
the  rebels  began  to  run  before  us,  is  illustrated  by  curious  inci 
dents.  Private  Thomas  Barcus  of  company  "I,"  like  Captain 
Converse,  was  shot  in  such  a  manner  as  to  disable  the  flexor 
tendons  of  his  legs.  Finding  he  could  not  run,  he  shouted, 
"Here  is  where  you  get  your  stiff  legs  !"  Corporal  Sherman  of 
company  "D,"  after  shooting  several  times  at  a  rebel  color,  saw 
it  fall.  At  that  moment  a  bullet  went  through  his  arm.  He  was 
boasting  in  a  loud  voice  that  he  had  "fetched  it,"  and  seemed 
greatly  surprised  to  find  his  own  arm  paralyzed. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  day  we  were  in  position  in  support 
of  the  heavy  line  of  batteries.  About  4  P.  M.,  while  the  musketry 
of  General  Burnside's  battle  upon  the  left  was  crashing,  the 
enerny  suddenly  opened  upon  us  a  heavy  fire  of  artillery.  Our 
cannon,  I  believe  about  forty  in  number,  replied  with  great  vigor, 
and  for  half  an  hour  a  Titanic  combat  raged.  We  lay  as  closely 
as  possible  to  the  ground.  I  was  upon  the  same  oil-cloth  with 
Captain  John  A.  Kellogg,  when  a  large  fragment  of  shell  passed 
into  the  ground  between  us,  cutting  a  great  hole  in  the  oil-cloth, 
and  covering  us  with  dirt.  It  was  a  mystery  how  this  could  be 
and  neither  of  us  be  struck. 

Right  here  on  the  front  line  two  enterprising  reporters  were 
gathering  lists  of  killed  and  wounded  and  items  of  the  battle, 
when  this  cannonading  suddenly  opened.  One,  whose  name  I 
have  forgotten,  reporting  for  the  "New  York  Herald,"  got  down 
and  hugged  the  ground  like  an  old  soldier.  As  he  lay  near  me, 
he  was  showered  with  dirt  plowed  up  by  the  fragment  of  shell, 
but  he  "stood  fire."  The  other,  Mr.  L,.  Iy.  Crounse,  of  the  "New 
York  Times,"  frantically  straddled  his  horse,  and  buried  his  spurs 
in  the  animal's  flanks.  Bowed  flat,  his  hat  gone,  and  in  headlong 
flight  over  the  fields  toward  the  rear,  he  presented  a  spectacle 
amusing  to  the  soldiers.  Amid  the  thunder  of  cannon  and 
screaming  of  shell,  a  great  shout  was  set  up  to  cheer  Crounse 
upon  his  ride.  But  Crounse  doubtless  got  his  report  in  first. 

The  piles  of  dead  on  the  Sharpsburg  and  Hagerstown  Turnpike 
were  frightful.  The  "angle  of  death"  at  Spottsylvania,  and  the 
Cold  Harbor  "slaughter  pen,"  and  the  Fredericksburgh  Stone 


95 

Wall,  where  Sumner  charged,  were  all  mentally  compared  by  me, 
when  I  saw  them,  with  this  turnpike  at  Antietam.  My  feeling 
was  that  the  Antietam  Turnpike  surpassed  all  in  manifest  evidence 
of  slaughter.  When  we  marched  along  the  turnpike  on  the  V 
morning  of  September  igth  the  scene  was  indescribably  horrible. 
Great  numbers  of  dead,  swollen  and  black  under  the  hot  sun,  lay 
upon  the  field.  My  horse,  as  I  rode  through  the  narrow  lane 
made  by  piling  the  bodies  along  beside  the  turnpike  fences, 
trembled  in  every  limb  with  fright  and  was  wet  with  perspiration. 
Friend  and  foe  were  indiscriminately  mingled. 

In  climbing  the  two  post  and  rail  fences  that  lined  the  turnpike, 
great  numbers  of  men  were  killed.  They  climbed  these  fences 
as  the  shortest  cut  to  the  woods,  through  fear  of  retreating  before 
the  fire  over  the  open  fields.  In  climbing,  they  made  themselves 
an  easy  mark.  .  Our  own  troops  climbed  these  fences  under  the 
same  circumstances  on  their  several  retreats  from  the  woods 
around  the  Dunkard  Church. 

In  front  of  the  haystacks  where  Battery  B,  4th  U.  S.  Artillery, 
had  been  planted  was  seen  a  horse,  apparently  in  the  act  of  rising 
from  the  ground.  Its  head  was  held  proudly  aloft,  and  its  fore 
legs  set  firmly  forward.  Nothing  could  be  more  vigorous  or  life-  i> 
like  than  the  pose  of  this  animal.  But  like  all  surrounding  it  on 
that  horrid  aceldama,  the  horse  wTas  dead. 

The  student  of  this  battle  will  be  well  repaid  by  a  careful  study 
of  the  Confederate  reports.  The  troops  we  first  encountered  in 
the  early  morning  and  drove  into  the  woods  around  the  Dunkard 
Church  were  the  same  we  met  at  Gainesville,  the  Stonewall 
division  of  Jackson's  Corps.  The  troops  who  in  turn  drove  us 
back  were  Hood's  Texas  brigade,  who  originated  the  rebel  yell, 
and  from  them  we  heard  it  on  this  occasion  in  all  its  terror. 
Colonel  W.  T.  WofFard  commanded  the  Texas  brigade.  In  Law's 
brigade  in  line  with  the  Texans  was  the  second  Mississippi 
regiment  afterward  encountered  by  us  at  Gettysburg.  It  will  be 
seen  that  we  get  even  with  this  regiment  in  that  battle.  It  will 
be  of  interest  to  observe  how  closely  my  own  account  of  our 
movements  given  above,  which  was  written  for  my  mother  while  I 
was  in  winter  quarters  at  Belle  Plaine,  Virginia,  in  January,  1863, 
accords  with  the  official  reports  of  the  enemy. 


96 

IN  LINK  OP  BATTLE,  NEAR  SHARPSBURG,  MARYLAND,  ) 
(Letter.)  SEPTEMBER  18,  1862.     j 

"MY  DEAR  MOTHER  : — I  have  come  safely  through  two  more 
terrible  engagements  with  the  enemy,  that  at  South  Mountain 
and  the  great  battle  of  yesterday.  Our  splendid  regiment  is 
almost  destroyed.  We  have  had  nearly  four  hundred  men  killed 
and  wounded  in  the  battles.  Seven  of  our  officers  were  shot  and 
three  killed  in  yesterday's  battle  and  nearly  one  hundred  and 
fifty  men  killed  and  wounded.  All  from  less  than  three  hundred 
engaged.  The  men  have  stood  like  iron.  We  are  now  under 
General  Joseph  Hooker.  Lieut.  Colonel  Bragg  was  wounded 
yesterday  and  I  commanded  the  regiment  during  most  of  the 
battle.  The  battle  may  be  renewed  at  any  time." 

It  will  be  noticed  in  this  letter  that  for  the  first  time  in  my 
contemporary  writing,  I  speak  of  the  men  as  having  stood  "like 
iron."  It  is  probable  that  the  title  of  "Iron  Brigade"  was  applied 
before  the  date  of  this  letter. 

It  is  evident  that  I  was  not  aware  when  this  letter  was  written 
that  General  Joseph  Hooker,  our  corps  commander,  had  been 
shot  in  the  battle  of  the  day  before. 

*This  battle  closed  the  campaign  of  forty-five  days,  which  may 
properly  be  called  the  first  battle  epoch  in  the  history  of  the 
brigade.  During  this  time,  the  brigade  was  on  eleven  different 
days  subjected  to  the  battle  fire  of  the  enemy. 


*See  Official  Records  of  the  War,  Volume  19,  Part  1. 

Report  Lieutenant  Colonel  E.  S.  Bragg, Page  254. 

Report  Captain  John  B.  Callis, "     257. 

Report  General  A.  Doubleday,  "     223. 

Report  General  John  Gibbon 248. 

Report  General  Joseph  Hooker, "     235. 

Report  Captain  W.  W.  Dudley,  257. 

CONFEDERATE  REPORTS. 

Colonel  W.  T.  Woffard,  Texas  brigade, Page  927,  Vol.  19,  War  Records. 

General  J.  B.  Hood, Page  922,  Vol.  19,  War  Records. 

Lieut.  Col.  M.  W.  Gary, Page  930,  Vol.  19,  War  Records. 

Lieut.  Col,  P.  A.  Work, Page  931,  Vol.  19,  War  Records. 

Colonel  E.  M.  Law, Page  934,  Vol.  19,  War  Records. 

Lieut.  Col.  B.  F.  Carter, ,..Page  934,  Vol.  19,  War  Records. 

Captain  Ike  N.  M.  Turner, Page  937,  Vol.  19,  War  Records. 

General  J.  R.  Jones,  Page  1006,  Vol,  19,  War  Records. 

Major  H.  J.  Williams, Pages  1010— 1012,  Vol.  19,  War  Records. 

Colonel  Edmund  Pendleton, Page  1015,  Vol.  19,  War  Records. 


CASUALTIES  IN  THE  BATTLE  OF  SOUTH  MOUNTAIN. 


' 

Killed 

Woun 
ded. 

Miss 
ing. 

1 

4? 

E 

8 

a* 

<x> 

Officers. 

d 
1 

Officers. 

a 

OJ 

Sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers  

1 
1 

11 

5 

11 
9 

36 

1 
1 

2 
4 

78 
20 
115 
35 

248 

2 

21 

7 

30 

92 
27 
147 
53 

319 

Second  \Visconsin  Volunteers 

Seventh  Wisconsin  Volunteers 

Nineteenth  Indiana  Volunteers 

Total... 

CASUALTIES  IN  THE  BATTLE  OP  ANTIETAM. 

Sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers 

3 

1 
4 

20 

18 
9 
5 

52 

'5 
6 

5 

110 
57 
26 

™ 

264 

9 

I 

_2_5 
48 

147 
90 
40 
103 

380 

Second  Wisconsin  Volunteers 

Seventh  Wisconsin  Volunteers 

Nineteenth  Indiana  Volunteers   ... 

Total  

In  Vol.  19,  Part  I,  Page  189,  War  Records,  will  be  found  a  corrected 
statement  of  casualties  of  6th  Wisconsin  at  Antietara,  aggregating  152. 


V. 

£J.7cnaustion  After  .Antietam — .A  sac?  Blunder — Colonel  Bragg  Nomi 
nated  for  Congress — President  Lincoln  Visits  the  Arm y — Twen- 
ty-Fourth  Michigan  Joins  tne  Brigade — -Appointed  to  Inspect 
Troops— JForward  to  Virginia— Dr.  John  C.  Nail— Colonel  Cutler 
Takes  Command  of  tne  Brigade — General  McClellan  removed 
From  Command  of  the  Army — Colonel  Cutler  'Takes  a  Stand — 
The  JEJurnside  Regime — On  to  Fredericksburg — General  Solo 
mon  Meredith — .Distrust  of  Burnside — Battle  of  Fredericksburg 
— The  Retreat — Clayton  Rogers  Saves  the  Pickets — "Clayt" 
and  "Bon  j^"—Wnit  worth  Shell  for  Breakfast— The  Defeat  as 
Viewed  t>j^  a  Member  of  Congress—  Camp  near  Belle  Plaine — 
General  James  S.  Wadsworth— Tne  Af  ud  Campaign— The  Fifty- 
fifth  Ohio  in  our  ffouses— Darkness  Upon  us  as  a  Nation— Exit 
Burnside— General  Joseph  flooker  in  Command  of  the  Army— 
The  Northumberland  Raid— Correspondence  -with  Mr.  Cutler- 
Political  Conditions. 

The  regiment  was  now  in  a  condition  of  exhaustion  from  the 
severity  of  its  service  and  from  its  losses  in  battle.  Colonel 
Cutler  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  Bragg  were  wounded,  disabled, 
and  absent,  and  I  remained  for  some  time  in  command.  Captains 
Brown  and  Bachelle  were  dead.  Captains  Noyes,  Marsh  and 
Converse  were  wounded  and  disabled.  Lieutenant  Bode  had 
been  killed  and  Lieutenants  Jerome  B.  Johnson  and  John  Tick- 
nor  had  been  wounded,  and  two  hundred  and  sixty  enlisted  men 
had  been  killed  or  wounded  in  the  campaign.  I  have  included 
the  men  reported  "missing"  as  among  the  killed  or  wounded. 
Such  was  almost  invariably  the  fact.  The  wounded  man,  when 
shot,  went  to  the  rear  and  availed  himself  of  the  first  assistance 
found.  Often  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  stretcher  bearers  or 
ambulance  drivers  of  another  corps.  He  would  be  taken  first  to 
their  field  hospital  and  finally  to  Washington,  or  perhaps,  to 
Baltimore  to  the  general  hospital.  We  would  hear  from  him  in 
an  urgent  appeal  for  his  "descriptive  list"  to  be  sent  "at  once"  to 
the  hospital  where  he  was  located.  This  important  paper  he 
needed  to  draw  his  pay.  Meanwhile  our  return  of  killed, 
wounded  and  missing  had  been  made,  and  it  remains  upon  the 


Official  Records  of  the  War.  The  companies  were  disorganized 
by  the  loss  of  officers,  and  a  period  for  rest  and  reorganization 
was  a  necessity. 

(Letter.)  CAMP  NEAR  SHARPSBURG,  SEPTEMBER  23rd. 

"I  have  for  a  day  or  two  been  suffering  from  a  severe  attack  of 
bilious  sick-headache,  a  result  of  the  late  terrible  excitement  and 
trying  times.  We  are  encamped  amid  a  dreadful  stench  of  the 
half-buried  thousands  of  men  and  horses  on  the  battle  field. 

Captain  Edwin  A.  Brown,  of  company  "B,"  my  best  friend  in 
the  regiment,  was  shot  dead  at  Sharpsburg.  That  gallant  soldier, 
Captain  Von  Bachelle,  was  shot  dead  and  his  Newfoundland  dog 
lay  dead  upon  his  body." 

One  of  our  sergeants  made  the  blunder  of  sending  to  Mrs. 
Bragg  a  message  that  her  husband  had  been  killed,  instead  of 
sending  it  to  Mrs.  Brown.  The  results  were  sensational  and 
very  sad.* 

The  Republican  Union  Congressional  convention  for  the 
fourth  district  of  Wisconsin,  which  met  at  Fond  du  Lac,  Septem 
ber,  24th,  1862,  adopted  resolutions  seconding  the  nomination  of^ 
Colonel  Bragg,  as  an  independent  War  candidate  for  congress,  on 
his  own  platform.  The  following  is  one  of  the  resolutions 
adopted:  "Resolved,  that  we  recognize  in  Edward  S.  Bragg,  a 


Extracts  from  a  newspaper  published  at  Fond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin  : 
"The  entire  people  of  Fond  du  Lac  have  been,  during  the  last  few  days 
the  subjects  of  the  most  painful  emotions,  and  two  families  and  their  con 
nections  prostrated  with  grief,  when  but  one  was  really  afflicted.  Last 
Friday  morning,  a  pang  of  intensest  pain  ran  from  heart  to  heart,  on 
reception  of  a  telegram  that  Lieutenant  Colonel  E.  S.  Bragg  was  killed  in 
the  battle  of  the  17th  inst.  The  dispatch  was  sent  from  Hagerstown,  Md., 
by  a  sergeant  of  company  "I,"  directed  to  Mrs.  Bragg,  stating  that  her 
husband  was  killed,  and  that  his  body  would  be  forwarded  by  express  to 
this  city.  The  news  was  considered  reliable  almost  beyond  a  doubt.  The 
city  council  convened,  made  arrangements  to  take  charge  of  the  funeral  in 
a  city  capacity,  and  appointed  a  committee  to  proceed  to  Chicago  to  escort 
the  body  home.  His  family,  plunged  in  grief,  had  made  every  arrange 
ment  for  the  funeral  and  burial,  when,  lo !  light  came  back  to  that  home, 
and  a  dark  cloud  threw  its  shadow  across  another  threshold.  The  commit 
tee  sent  after  Colonel  Bragg's  body,  found  when  they  reached  Chicago,  that 
it  was  Captain  Edwin  A.  Brown,  instead  of  Colonel  Bragg,  who  was  killed,' 
and  telegraphed  to  that  effect,  Sunday  last.  The  news  created  a  new  and 
painful  excitement.  What  was  gained  in  one  direction,  was  lost  in  another. 
The  city  council  determined  they  would  take  the  same  course  in  regard  to 
conducting  the  funeral,  that  had  been  marked  out  when  it  was  supposed 
that  Colonel  Bragg  had  fallen." 


100 

true  patriot,  pledged  to  the  support  of  the  government  and  in 
every  way  qualified  to  represent  the  people  of  this  district  in  the 
next  congress  of  the  United  States,  and  we  cheerfully  recommend 
him  to  the  people  for  their  suffrages,  notwithstanding  upon 
questions  of  civil  administration,  he  sustains  a  creed  different 
from  ours.  He  is  true  to  the  country,  and  in  this  trying  hour  we 
will  know  no  subdivision  of  the  National  friends." 

CAMP  NEAR  SHARPSBURG,  MARYLAND,  j 
(Letter.)  OCTOBER  2nd,  1862.      j 

"We  are  now  encamped  at  a  beautiful  spot  on  the  banks  of  the 
Potomac  river,  enjoying  the  rest  that  we  so  greatly  needed.  All 
has  been  quiet  since  the  battle  until  yesterday,  when  there  was 
cannonading  at  a  distance,  all  day.  Our  camp  ig  about  one  mile 
from  the  village  of  Sharpsburg." 

On  the  third  day  of  October,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was 
reviewed  by  President  Abraham  Lincoln.  The  line  was  formed 
in  almost  the  position  occupied  by  the  army  of  General  Lee  at 
the  opening  of  the  battle.  We  had  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
men  in  our  ranks  at  this  review.  Our  battle  flags  were  tattered, 
our  clothing  worn,  and  our  appearance  that  of  men  who  had  been 
through  the  most  trying  service.  Mr.  Lincoln  has  said 
that  he  staked  the  question  of  publishing  his  Proclamation  of 
Kmancipation  upon  the  result  of  this  battle.  Recognizing  An- 
tietam  as  a  victory,  he  had  issued  his  preliminary  paper  of 
September  22nd,  1862,  and  he  now  visited  the  bloody  field,  where 
under  the  gracious  lavor  of  God,  to  whom  he  had  appealed,  we 
had  defeated  the  invasion  of  the  North,  and  made  it  possible  for 
him  to  proclaim  the  purpose  of  our  government  to  emancipate 
all  slaves  in  the  territory  that  was  in  rebellion.  Mr.  Lincoln  was 
manifestly  touched  at  the  worn  appearance  of  our  men,  and  he, 
himself,  looked  serious  and  careworn.  He  bowed  low  in  reponse 
to  the  salute  of  our  tattered  flags.  As  I  sat  upon  my  horse  in 
front  of  the  regiment,  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  face, 
.which  has  remained  photographed  upon  my  memory.  Compared 
with  the  small  figure  of  General  McClellan,  who,  with  jaunty  air 
and  somewhat  gaudy  appearance,  cantered  along  beside  him,  Mr. 
Lincoln  seemed  to  tower  as  a  giant. 


101 

CAMP  NEAR  SHARPSBURG,  MARYLAND, 
(Letter.)  OCTOBER  5th,  1862. 

"General  Abner  Doubleday  now  commands  our  division,  and 
General  John  F.  Reynolds  commands  our  corps." 

Major  General  John  F.  Reynolds  continued  to  command  the 
first  army  corps  until  July  ist,  1863,  when  he  was  killed  in  front 
of  the  attacking  column  of  our  brigade,  in  the  battle  of 
Gettysburg. 

(Letter.)          CAMP  NEAR  SHARPSBURG,  OCTOBER  gth,  1862. 

"A  fine  new  regiment  has  been  added  to  our  brigade.  They 
are  a  splendid  looking  body  of  men,  entirely  new  to  the  service. 
It  is  the  twenty- fourth  Michigan,  commanded  by  Colonel  Henry 
A.  Morrow.  Their  ranks  are  full  now,  and  they  are,  as  we  were, 
crazy  to  fight." 

CAMP  NEAR  BAKERSVILLE,  MARYLAND,  \ 
(Letter.)  OCTOBER  2ist,  1862.      } 

"We  have  changed  our  camp  and  are  not  so  pleasantly  situated 
as  when  on  the  bank  of  the  Potomac  river.  .  There,  we  had  a 
fine  view  of  the  river  wrhich  sweeps  around  in  a  beautiful  bend, 
and  of  a  broad  extent  of  pleasant  iarming  land,  and  romantic 
mountain  scenery  in  Virginia.  The  regiment  is  gaining  strength 
by  men  returning  every  day.  Colonel  Cutler  is  still  feeble  from 
the  effect  of  his  wound  at  Gainesville.  The  box  of  fruit  you 
sent  me  is  still  missing.  I  have  great  hopes  of  getting  it  to 
night.  As  I  sent  a  man  to  Washington  on  some  business,  he 
will  bring  it  with  him  if  it  is  there.  You  ask  me  how  I  live — 
Dr.  O.  F.  Bartlett  and  I  mess  together,  and  we  have  a  good  wall 
tent  writh  a  fly  as  a  sunshade.  We  have  a  portable  stove  which 
keeps  us  comfortable.  While  in  camp,  our  table  is  well  supplied 
and  our  servants  are  good  cooks.  We  have  good  bread,  butter, 
and  potatoes.  Our  mess  chest  is-  filled  at  the  beginning  of  a 
march  and  put  in  the  regimental  headquarters  wagon.  When 
separated  from  our  wagon  train,  we  have  hard  times.  I  have 
often  been  glad  to  share  the  rations  of  the  men,  who  will  not  let 
me  suffer  so  long  as  they  have  a  hard  tack." 

Later  in  the  war,  the  admirable  pack  mule  system  of  transpor 
tation  of  officers'  provisions  relieved  them  of  the  difficulty 
here  complained  of,  and  added  greatly  to  their  comfort  when  in 


102 

the  field.  Before  the  introduction  of  pack  mules,  it  was  quite 
common  for  the  officers'  supplies  to  become  exhausted  by 
separation  from  the  wagon  trains. 

Dr.  O.  F.  Bartlett  had  already  been  promoted  to  be  Surgeon  of 
the  third  Wisconsin  regiment.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  dignity 
of  manner,  and  a  surgeon  of  great  skill.  It  will  be  observed 
that  in  my  mess  arrangements  I  was  partial  to  the  doctors. 

(Letter.)      CAMP  NEAR  BAKERSVILI/E,  OCTOBER  26th,  1862. 

Since  assuming  command  of  the  regiment,  I  have  been  kept 
busy.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  work  with  the  regiment,  and  a 
good  deal  of  outside  labor  has  been  imposed  upon  me.  Sending 
descriptive  lists  to  our  wounded  men  in  the  hospitals  is  no  small 
job.  I  was  ordered  to  assist  Captain  McClellan  of  the  staff  of 
General  George  B.  McClellan,  in  the  inspection  of  the  regiments 
of  Doubleday's  division.  Two  regiments  were  assigned  to  me 
yesterday,  the  i4th  Brooklyn  and  the  24th  New  York.  It  was  a 
wearisome  task  to  inspect  them,  and  disagreeable,  as  all  deficien 
cies  and  faults  niust  be  reported  directly  to  headquarters  of  the 
army." 

In  a  memorandum  book  of  1862,  I  find  notes  in  pencil  of  the 
inspection  of  three  regiments.  I  regret  that  the  notes  of  the 
other  regiments  inspected  by  myself  were  not  preserved. 
These  notes  give  some  insight  into  the  condition  of  the  troops 
after  the  battle  of  Antietam,  a  subject  upon  which  there  was  a 
controversy.*  It  can  safely  be  said  that  two  at  least  of  the 
regiments  here  noted,  were  in  very  bad  condition  for  active 
service.  I  give  notes  of  inspection  of  the  24th  New  York. 

"Regiment  consolidated  into  a  battalion  of  four  companies. 

Field  officers  present,  none.     Captain  Miller,  commanding. 

Actual  muster,  120  enlisted  men  for  duty.  Total  enlisted  men 
present  in  camp,  153,  absence  of  16  men  from  muster  not 
satisfactorily  accounted  for.  Condition  of  arms,  ordinary. 
Cartridge  boxes  minus  tin  magazines,  12.  Clothing  and  shoes, 
bad." 

In  the  1 4th  Brooklyn  regiment  there  were  no  field  officers 
present  and  the  regiment  had  been  consolidated  into  a  battalion 

*Volume  19,  Part  I,  Pages  10  to  75,  War  Records. 


103 

of  four  companies.  In  one  company  there  were  74  men  present, 
of  whom  for  various  reasons,  43  were  non-effective.  The  principal 
reason  was  that  they  were  without  arms.  The  men  of  this  regi 
ment  were  all  satisfactorily  accounted  for  and  the  arms  inspected 
were  in  good  .condition. 

The    result  of    Captain   McClellan's    inspection   of  the  sixth 
regiment  of  Wisconsin  volunteers  was  noted  as  follows : 
"Field  officers  present,  one. 
I<ine  officers  present,  ten. 

Company  "A,"  present  effectives,  46;  non-effectives,  5;  total,  51. 
"B,"         "  "  32;  "  i;       "      33- 

"C,"         "  "  44;  "  3;       "      47- 

"D>"  33;  3;       "      36. 

"E,"          "  "  26;  "  o;       "      26. 

"F,"          "  "  21;  i;        "      22. 

UG,"         "  "  22;  "  o;       '!      22. 

"         "H,"         "  "  14;  i;       "      15. 

"I,"         "  "  40;  "  5;       "      45. 

"K,"  35;  4;       "      39. 

Effectives,  313;  non-effectives,  23;  total,  336. 

There  were  8 1  defective  cartridge  boxes  in  the  regiment.  There 
were  no  men  without  arms.  The  condition  of  arms  was  "very 
good."  The  absent  were  all  accounted  for.  The  condition  of 
clothing  was  generally  *bad,  and  shoes  very  bad."  The  tin  maga 
zines  in  the  cartridge  boxes  were  to  keep  the  powder  dry.  In 
battle  the  men  would  often  throw  them  away  in  order  to  more 
quickly  and  easily  get  at  their  cartridges ;  but  the  cartridge  box 
was  thus  ruined  for  further  service.  It  would  no  longer  keep  the 
cartridges  dry.  Instruction  had  been  given  to  particularly  ex 
amine  all  cartridge  boxes.  The  inspection  was  very  thorough 
and  rigid,  and  it  disclosed  that  the  army  was  in  a  destitute  and 
almost  disorganized  condition. 

(Letter.)  CAMP  NEAR  BAKKRSVILLE,  MARYLAND,  )  ' 

October  27th,  1862.      j 
"Colonel  Bragg  writes  that  he  regards  his  election  to  Congress 

*See  Vol.  19,  Part  I,  Pages  10  to  75,  War  Eecords. 


104 

as  probable,  but  since  the  Ohio  election,  I  have  little  faith.  Colonel 
Cutler  writes  that  he  hopes  to  be  back  soon.  He  has  become 
subject  to  sciatica  and  his  painful  wound  is  not  half  healed. 

It  is  true  that  the  army  is  in  a  suffering  condition  for  clothing 
and  shoes.  Our  regiment  was  never  before  nearly  so  destitute. 
I  have  used  every  exertion  to  obtain  a  supply  of  clothing,  and 
only  this  morning  succeeded  in  getting  some  underclothing  for 
the  men.  Pants  or  coats  I  cannot  get." 

To  these  contemporary  statements  of  the  condition  of  the 
troops  should  be  added  the  explanation,  that  we  had  passed 
through  the  battles  and  labors  of  the  Pope  campaign  as  well  as 
those  of  the  Maryland  campaign,  since  we  had  received  supplies 
of  clothing  and  shoes.  Our  brigade  had  entered  the  Pope  cam 
paign  overloaded  with  clothing  and  abundantly  supplied  with 
everything  needed,  but  the  feathers  in  our  hats  were  drooping 
and  the  white  leggings,  which,  as  a  protection  to  the  feet  and 
ankles,  were  now  more  useful  than  ornamental,  had  become 
badly  soiled. 
(Letter.)  CAMP  IN  VIRGINIA,  October  3ist,  1862. 

"At  last  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  is  moving  and  we  are  once 
more  upon  the  sacred  soil.  A  big  fight  or  a  foot  race  will  come 
off  shortly.  I  mustered  the  regiment  for  pay  to-day.  I  hope  the 
money  will  come  when  we  can  do  something  with  it.  The  con 
tinued  absence  of  the  Paymaster  is  becoming  a  serious  annoyance." 

BEFORE  SNICKER'S  GAP,  VIRGINIA,  ) 
(^Letter.)  NOVEMBER  2nd,  1862.      ) 

"The  campaign  has  opened  again  and  we  are  pushing  after  the 
enemy  once  more.  They  threw  a  few  shells  from  Snicker's  Gap 
yesterday,  indicating  their  presence  there.  If  we  encounter 
them,  I  shall  have  the  honor  of  leading  the  regiment." 

At  this  time,  our  newly  appointed  Assistant  Surgeon,  Dr.  John 
C.  Hall,  reported  to  the  regiment  for  duty.  He  proved  to  be  a 
gentleman  of  great  intelligence  and  fine  literary  taste.  We 
became  congenial  friends  and  were  intimately  associated  in  the 
most  pleasant  and  friendly  relations  for  all  of  the  remaining 
time  of  my  service. 

*Volume  19,  Part  I,  Page  990,  War  Records. 


105 

CAMP  NEAR  WARRENTON,  VIRGINIA,  ) 
(Letter.)  NOVEMBER  yth,  1862.      j 

"After  hard  marching,  we  are  stopped  by  a  snow  storm.  This 
is  to  us  a  familiar  spot.  It  is  cold,  and  exceedingly  disagreeable 
campaigning  "now.  Colonel  Cutler  has  returned  and  he  is  in 
command  of  the  brigade.  He  is  really  unfit  for  duty.  I  still 
command  the  regiment.  General  Gibbon  has  been  promoted  to 
command  Rickett's  division.  We  are  sorry  to  lose  him,  for  a 
brave  and  true  man,  tested  as  he  has  been,  is  a  jewel  here." 

On  November  ist,  1862,  my  brother,  with  the  army  in  the  west, 
was  promoted  to  be  major  of  his  regiment.  He  was  an  adjutant. 
He  had  been  jumped  over  all  the  captains  in  the  line.  The 
principle  I  so  firmly  stood  for  in  our  regiment,  was  trampled 
under  foot  in  his  regiment,  and — I  was  glad  of  it. 

(Letter.)         WARRENTON,  VIRGINIA,  NOVEMBER  gth,  1862. 

"We  are  still  here  waiting  for  provisions.  To-day  the  regiment 
is  without  a  cracker  to  eat,  but  our  men  bear  it  without  a 
murmur.  No  regiment  in  the  army  endures  privations  more 
patiently.  The  new  regiment,  (24th  Michigan)  do  not  take  it  so 
easily.  They  have  been  shouting:  'Bread!  Bread!'  at  the  top 
of  their  voices  all  day." 

While  we  were  in  this  camp,  on  November  yth,  1862,  General 
George  B.  McClellan  was  relieved  from  the  command  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  by  President  Lincoln,  and  General 
Ambrose  E.  Burnside  appointed  to  that  ill-starred  responsibility. 
There  was  considerable  expression  of  feeling.  No  acts  of 
insubordination  occurred.  There  was  talk  of  resignations  by 
officers,  but  in  our  brigade,  the  sturdy  faithfulness  of  Colonel 
Lysander  Cutler,  then  commanding,  and  his  known  determination 
of  character,  had  an  excellent  restraining  influence.  He  declared 
that  he  would  recommend  for  dismissal,  for  tendering  a  resigna 
tion  while  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy,  any  officer  who  offered 
to  resign  for  such  a  reason.  There  were  no  resignations  sent  to 
his  headquarters. 

CAMP  NEAR  WARRENTON,  VIRGINIA,  | 
(Letter.)  NOVEMBER  roth,  1862.      ) 

"I  am  afraid  that  Colonel  Bragg  was  defeated  for  congress. 
It  is  manifest  that  the  cowardly  sneaks  who  stay  at  home  intend 


106 

to  sell  out  the  country.  Think  of  Horatio  Seymour,  an  infamous 
peace  Democrat,  carrying  the  state  of  New  York  over  General 
James  S.  Wadsworth. 

We  have  just  learned  that  General  Gibbon  has  been  promoted 
to  Major  General.  His  honors  were  fairly  won.  '  He  is  one  of 
the  bravest  of  men.  He  was  with  us  on  every  battle  field." 

BIVOUAC  IN  THE  BRUSH  TEN  MILES  FROM  ANYWHERE,  IN  ) 
(Letter.)  STAFFORD  Co.,  VA.,  NOVEMBER  20th,  1862.      ) 

"After  a  weary  march  of  a  week,  we  are  encamped  at  the  head 
waters  of  Acquia  creek.  We  have  been  marching  through  a 
cold  and  driving  rain  storm,  and  to-day  we  are  drying  off.  We 
are  in  the  grand  division  commanded  by  ^General  William  B. 
Franklin,  and,  the  orders  say,  'on  the  left  of  the  army'.  The 
men  say  they  are  willing  to  be  left  when  more  bloody  fighting  is 
to  be  done.  The  roads  are  in  a  desperately  muddy  condition, 
and  we  were  all  day  yesterday  moving  the  division  two  miles. 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Bragg  has  returned  to  the  regiment.  He 
was  badly  defeated  in  his  race  for  congress,  and  all  because  he  is 
a  war  man.  They  are  for  peace  at  any  price,  in  his  district." 

The  officers  were  desperately  straitened  for  provisions  on 
this  march.  Our  headquarters  wagon  with  officers'  rations,  was 
stuck  in  the  mud  miles  away.  Colonel  Bragg  detailed  Private 
Adams,  of  company  "C,"  who  was  a  genius  in  that  line,  to  forage 
for  us.  He  gave  him  money  to  buy  provisions.  Adams  could 
buy  nothing  of  the  spiteful  rebel  women,  and  he  could  find  but 
little  in  that  barren.  At  last  he  found  a  pig,  killed  and  dressed, 
and  hanging  to  the  limb  of  a  tree  by  a  kitchen  window,  but  there 
was  a  "safe  guard"  from  corps  headquarters,  standing  with  loaded 
musket  over  that  pig.  Adams  went  into  ambush  until  after  dark, 
when  he  came  safely  into  camp  with  a  leg  of  fine  young  pork. 
I  am  safe  in  saying  it  was  the  sweetest  and  best  I  ever  ate. 

(Letter.)          CAMP  OPPOSITE  FREDERICKSBURGH,  VIRGINIA,  j 

NOVEMBER  25th,  1862.      ) 

"I  do  not  expect  to  be  able  to  visit  home  this  winter.  The 
authorities  are  excessively  strict  and  it  would  be  scarcely  possible 
for  me,  although  I  have  not  slept  in  a  house  for  eight  months,  to 

*  Volume  XXI,  Page  48,  War  Records. 


107 

get  permission  to  go  even    to   Washington.     Colonel   Solomon 
Meredith  is  now  a  Brigadier  General  and  he  is  to  take  command 
of  our  brigade." 
(Letter.)  CAMP  NEAR  BROOKS  STATION,  Nov.  soth,  1862. 

"HoN.  W.  P.  CUTLER  : — If  possible,  I  will  procure  a  pass  and 
come  up  to  the  city,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  I  can.  I  have  not 
been  off  duty  nor  slept  out  of  camp  for  eight  months  and  have 
been  in  every  skirmish  and  battle  ;  but  owing  to  the  practices  of  that 
worse  than  contemptible  class  of  officers  who  shirk  duty  and  hang 
around  Washington,  we  who  do  our  duty  can  get  no  privileges." 
(Letter.)  CAMP  AT  BROOKS  STATION,  DEC.  ist,  1862. 

"Our  great  army  has  once  more  come  to  a  halt.  There  is  an 
aspect  of  winter  quarters  for  the  army,  but  no  one  expects  that 
our  Commanding  General  will  publish  orders  to  that  effect.  O, 
no,  'Richmond  must  fall,'  'Lee's  army  must  be  bagged.'  There 
must  be  another  bloody  battle.  Nothing  less  will  appease  our 
valiant  'stay-at-home  rangers.'  You  are  not  prepared  to  believe 
that  our  army  at  Antietam  was  checked  at  every  point.  You 
think  McClellan  a  traitor.  I  did  not  make  a  fool  of  myself  at 
the  time  of  McClellan's  removal  as  some  officers  did.  I  do  not 
yet  know  whether  the  army  has  suffered  from  the  change  Wait 
and  see  how  much  better  Burnside  does,  before  'rejoicing'  over 
the  removal  of  McClellan. 

We  have  fixed  up  very  comfortabty  in  this  camp.  I  am  now 
tenting  with  Dr.  A.  D.  Andrews,  who  is  a  pattern  of  neatness. 

A  law  of  congress  invests  a  field  officer  in  each  regiment  with 
the  powers  and  functions  of  a  regimental  court  martial.  I  am 
the  court  in  this  regiment.  A  full  record  of  proceedings  and 
evidence  in  each  case  tried  has  to  be  made  pro  forma,  which 
involves  much  labor.  My  standard  of  fines  for  misdemeanors 
ranges-  from  three  dollars  to  thirteen  dollars,  the  maximum 
allowed  by  law.  As  for  example,  "for  killing  a  rabbit,"  ("rabbits" 
are  covered  with  wool  in  this  country) — about  four  dollars;  "for 
a  knock  down,"  eight  dollars,  and  for  getting  drunk  and  kicking 
up  a  row  generally,  thirteen  dollars. 

(Letter.)  CAMP  AT  BROOKS  STATION,  VIRGINIA,  ) 

DECEMBER  5th,  1862.     j 
"General  Wm.  B.   Franklin's  grand  division  is  on  the  move. 


108 

We  had  ourselves  comfortably  fixed  for  the  winter.  General 
Solomon  Meredith  is  in  command  of  the  brigade." 

The  next  letter  shows  the  temper  prevailing  in  the  army  in 
regard  to  an  attack  upon  the  entrenched  position  of  the  enemy 
at  Fredericksburgh.  It  was  written  to  my  sister,  December  icth, 
1862:  "The  country  is  clamoring  for  General  Burnside  to  drive 
his  army  to  butchery  at  Fredericksburgh.  What  we  think  of  the 
probability  of  Burnside's  attacking  Fredericksburgh  is  best 
shown  in  the  fact  that  we  are  building  winter  quarters.  Not  by 
order,  oh,  no  !  No  general  would  dare  give  such  an  order,  as  the 
country  would  demand  his  head  immediately.  But  if  General 
Burnside  allows  himself  to  be  pushed  into  a  battle  here,  against 
the  enemy's  works,  the  country  will  mourn  thousands  slain,  and 
the  Rappahannock  will  run  red  with  blood  expended  in  fruitless 
slaughter." 

Doctor  John  C.  Hall  approached  Colonel  Bragg  the  night 
before  Fredericksburgh  with  the  inquiry  :  "Going  to  have  a 
battle,  Colonel?"  "Yes."  "We  can  whip  them,  can't  we?" 
"Not  by  a  d  —  d  sight  over  there.  After  they  have  killed  a  few 
thousand,  and  ruined  as  many  more,  we'll  come  creeping  back, 
and  be  lucky  if  we  get  back  at  all."  The  sequel  is  this,  says 
Bragg  :  "When  we  crept  back  three  days  afterward,  Dr.  Hall 
said:  'Colonel,  I  owe  you  an  apology.'  For  what?  said  I.  'Well, 
I  must  confess  I  thought  from  your  talk  before  the  battle,  that 
one  of  our  best  regiments  had  got  into  the  hands  of  a  man, 
whose  heart  was  not  in  the  war.  That's  what  I  want  to  apolo 
gize  for.  I  find  you  knew7  more  about  this  matter  than  I  did.  I 
watched  you  when  the  shells  flew.  I  sawr  you  under  fire  at  your 
post,  and  then  I  went  over  the  bank  myself,  fully  satisfied  to 
leave  the  cause  in  your  keeping.'  ' 


(Letter.)        OPPOSITE  FREDERICKSBURGH,  DEC.  lyth,  1862. 

"Another  great  battle  has  been  fought.  Terrible  as  it  was  to 
some,  to  us  it  was  really  almost  nothing  compared  with  Antietam. 
We  feel  very  grateful  to  have  escaped  our  perils  with  so  wonder 
fully  small  a  loss.  No  man  in  the  regiment  was  killed,  and  only 
four  were  wounded,  all  of  whom  we  believe  will  live." 


109 

*THE  BATTLE  OF  FREDERICKSBURGH. 

"On  the  early  morning  of  December  i2th,  1862,  in  the  midst 
of  a  dense  fog,  a  heavy  bombardment  of  artillery  was  opened  on 
the  town  of  Fredericksburgh.  A  crossing  of  the  Rappahannock 
in  pontoon  boats  was  forced  later  in  the  day.  Our  brigade  lay 
quietly  on  the  heights  opposite  Fredericksburgh  until  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  this  day,  when  we  moved  toward  a 
pontoon  bridge  about  a  mile  below  the  town.  From  the  Stafford 
Heights  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  broad  open  plain  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river,  upon  which  long  lines  of  battle  were  being 
formed  by  our  troops.  General  Franklin's  grand  division  was 
assigned  to  duty  on  the  left  flank  of  the  army.  After  crossing 
the  bridge,  our  march  was  directed  down  the  south  bank  of  the 
river  for  nearly  two  miles.  Our  column  was  in  plain  view  of  the 
rebel  artillerists,  posted  on  the  hills  at  about  the  distance  of  one 
mile.  Battery  after  battery  opened  fire  upon  us,  as  we  moved 
along.  Owing  to  the  distance  and  their  bad  practice,  no  damage 
was  inflicted.  The  shell  whistled  over  us,  and  a  panic  took  place 
among  our  colored  servants,  who  were  following  the  regiment. 
They  were  loaded  down  with  coffee  pots,  frying  pans  and  officers' 
rations,  and  they  fled  hastily  over  the  river  bank,  tumbling  from 
top  to  bottom,  and  scattering  our  officers'  provisions.  The 
brigade  reached  a  stone  house,  known  as  Bernard's,  at  dark.  We 
bivouacked  that  night  in  a  fine  grove  of  trees  around  the  house. 
The  night  was  very  cold.  I  worked  industriously  with  my  darky 
boy,  William,  who  had  returned  from  under  the  bank,  scraping 
together  a  great  heap  of  leaves  under  a  large  tree  for  a  bed. 
Colonel  Lysander  Cutler  came  limping  along  on  his  wounded 
leg,  and  looking  wistfully  at  my  comfortable  arrangement  for 
the  night,  requested  the  favor  of  sleeping  with  me.  He  said 
I  was  young  and  would  keep  him  warm.  The  privilege  was 
gladly  granted.  Colonel  Cutler  was  a  heroic  man  to  be  there  at 


*Report  General  A.  Doubleday,              P£ 

ige  465,  Vol 
475, 
479, 
478, 
148, 
1070, 
'      139. 

ume  2 

1,W 

ar  Rec 

:ords. 

"        Solomon  Meredith,  
"        Colonel  L.  Cutler,  

"        Colonel  L.  Fairchild,  

Organization  Burnside's  Army,  

Lee's  Army 

Casualties  "Iron  Brigade."... 

lio 

all,  as  he  was  fifty-five  years  old,  a  great  sufferer  from  the 
effects  of  his  wound,  and  much  subject  to  sciatic  rheumatism. 
On  this  night  a  private  soldier  whom  I  will  call  only  by  his 
his  nick-name,  "Banta,"  let  an  old  sow  out  of  her  pen  at 
the  Bernard  house,  and  the  animal  ran  with  a  "wush"  over  a 
young  doctor  on  General  Wm.  B.  Franklin's  staff,  who  was  sleep 
ing  on  the  ground  near  by.  "Banta"  was  seized  and  tied  to  a  tree, 
and  released  only  upon  the  urgent  intercession  of  Colonel  Bragg. 

"Old  Mat,"  a  colored  servant  to  the  officers  of  company  "C," 
had  been  bred  a  slave  on  the  Bernard  plantation,  and  when 
two  of  our  stalwart  axe-men  commenced  cutting  down  some  of 
the  fine  old  trees  in  front,  striking  alternate  blows  from  opposite 
sides,  the  darky  could  not  contain  himself, — his  old  love  for  his 
home  and  its  surroundings  was  evidenced  in  this  way :  "Boys, 
what  you  doin'  dar!  You  brake  dat  old  man's  heart  if  you  cut 
down  dat  tree!  His  grandfather  planted  dat  tree!" 

About  daylight  of  the  i3th,  the  troops  were  formed  for  the 
advance  upon  the  enemy.  The  battle  field  was  covered  by  an 
exceedingly  dense  fog  and  nothing  could  be  seen.  The  brigade 
was  formed  in  grand  column  by  regiments,  our  regiment  being 
second  line  from  the  front.  Thus  we  moved  through  the 
fog  in  four  lines  of  battle.  The  artillery  of  the  enemy  was  firing 
vigorously  at  us  and  the  shot  and  shell  whistled  and  shrieked 
around  us,  but,  owing  to  the  fog,  none  struck  in  our  columns. 
The  divisions  of  Generals  Meade  and  Gibbon,  belonging  to 
Franklin's  grand  division,  soon  became  heavily  engaged.  We 
heard  the  crash  of  their  musketry,  and  braced  ourselves  for  the 
conflict,  we  believed  to  be  before  us.  But,  after  moving  a 
considerable  distance  and  no  enemy  having  been  encountered, 
the  fog  cleared  away  and  we  found  ourselves  on  a  great  open 
plain,  facing  toward  the  Massaponax  river  on  the  extreme  left 
flank  of  the  army.  We  were  without  shelter  of  any  kind  and 
during  the  entire  day  were  exposed  to  a  fire  of  the  rebel  artillery, 
posted  on  a  hill  near  Hamilton's  crossing.  The  rebel  cavalry 
under  General  J.  B.  B.  Stuart,  formed  to  charge  the  left  flank 
of  our  army.  Diagonal  squares  were  formed  by  the  regiments 
of  our  brigade  to  receive  a  charge  of  cavalry,  while  a  heavy 
fire  of  artillery  was  directed  upon  us.  Our  squares  were  as 


Ill 

formidable  as  those  of  Napoleon  at  the  Pyramids.  The  rebel 
cavalry  wisely  refrained  from  charging  upon  these  squares,  and  I 
have  always  felt  that  the  "Iron  Brigade"  was  in  the  right  place 
at  Fredericksburgh.  It  was  the  manifest  purpose  of  General 
Lee  to  attack  the  left  flank  of  our  army  with  this  heavy  column 
of  cavalry.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  the  enemy  opened  upon  us 
the  concentrated  fire  of  all  his  artillery  on  Hamilton's  Heights, 
forty  or  fifty  guns.  Our  men  lay  flat  upon  the  ground  and  took 
it  with  wonderful  courage  and  patience.  I  have  never  known  a 
more  severe  trial  of  nerve  upon  the  battle  field,  than  this  hour 
under  that  infernal  fire.  With  nothing  to  do  but  crouch  close  to 
the  ground,  our  eyes  were  riveted  upon  the  cannon  on  the  hill 
firing  point  blank  at  us.  They  seemed  endowed  with  life  in  their 
tremendous  and  spiteful  energy.  There  would  be  a  swift  out 
burst  of  snow  white  smoke,  out  of  which  flashed  a  tongue  of  fire, 
and  the  cannon  would  leap  backward  in  its  recoil;  then 
followed  the  thundering  report,  in  the  midst  of  which  the 
missile  fired  at  us  would  plow  deep  into  the  ground,  scattering 
a  spray  of  dirt  and  bound  high  over  us  or  burst  in  the  air, 
sending  fragments  with  a  heavy  thud  into  the  ground  around  us. 
L,ike  fiends  who  stirred  infernal  fires,  the  rebel  artillerymen 
could  be  seen  working  around  their  guns.  Several  times  I  saw 
the  awful  plowing  of  the  earth  in  the  very  midst  of  our  battle 
lines  of  men  lying  upon  the  ground.  There  was  instant  death 
in  the  track  of  it.  We  were  relieved  from  this  fire  only  by  the 
darkness  of  the  night,  and  our  regiment  was  moved  forward  to 
the  Bowling  Green  road.  Hearing  this  movement,  the  enemy 
began  firing  upon  us  with  canister.  We  could  hear  the  sharp 
rattle  of  shot  upon  the  ground.  As  the  night  was  very  dark,  the 
firing  was  necessarily  at  random,  and  the  danger  not  great,  but 
the  sound  of  the  shot  striking  the  ground  was  frightful. 

This  night  was  intensely  cold.  We  formed  long  lines  of 
officers  and  men  together,  who  would  lie  down  on  their  oil  cloths, 
spoon  fashion  to  keep  each  other  warm.  We  would  soon  get  so 
cold  on  the  side  next  to  the  ground,  that  we  would  have  to  turn 
over.  The  command,  "About  face,"  would  be  given,  and  the 
whole  line  of  men  would  roll  over  together  to  lie  a  few  moments 
on  the  other  side.  At  short  intervals  the  rebel  battery  would 


112 

blaze  away  with  its  horrible  shot  rattling  on  the  frozen  ground. 
The  shot  seemed  to  fly  about  one  foot  above  us,  so  that,  while 
one  was  freezing  as  he  lay  down,  he  was  tortured  with  the  fear  of 
being  torn  to  pieces  if  he  ventured  to  stand  up  or  walk  around. 
While  the  regiment  was  lying  here  on  the  Bowling  Green  road, 
General  Meredith  was  relieved  from  the  command  of  the  brigade 
and  Colonel  Cutler  again  assigned  to  that  duty.* 

Colonel  Cutler  moved  the  regiment  back  to  its  old  position  on 
the  left,  which  we  occupied  without  change  until  the  general 
retreat  of  the  army.  The  line  of  the  brigade  extended  diago 
nally  from  the  Bowling  Green  road  to  the  Rappahannock  and  it 
constituted  the  extreme  left  flank  of  the  army.  During  both  day 
and  night,  December  i4th  and  i5th,  a  sharp  fire  was  kept  up 
between  our  skirmishers  and  those  of  the  enemy,  and  at  intervals 
a  brisk  cannonade  took  place.  At  one  time  the  enemy  planted  a 
Whitworth  rifled  cannon  beyond  the  Massaponax  in  position  to 
enfilade  our  lines  of  battle  lying  on  the  plain.  They  fired  solid 
bolts  down  about  two  miles  of  our  line.  The  whistle  of  this 
shot  was  shrill  and  peculiar.  When  it  bounded  into  the  air  after 
striking  the  ground,  it  looked  like  a  corn  cob  whirling  over  and 
over.  One  shot  struck  a  knapsack  and  flung  a  pack  of  playing 
cards  many  feet  into  the  air,  scattering  them  in  all  directions. 
fCapt.  R.  A.  Hardaway  of  the  Confederate  army,  had  charge  of 
this  gun. 

The  twenty-fourth  Michigan  made  a  good  appearance  in  this 
their  first  engagement.  They  were  exceedingly  anxious  to  go 
always  to  the  front,  and,  resting  upon  our  hard  earned  laurels, 
we  were  generously  willing  that  they  should  do  so.  But  there 
was  little  choice  of  place  on  that  open  plain.  No  soldiers  ever 
faced  fire  more  bravely,  and  they  showed  themselves  of  a  fibre 
worthy  to  be  woven  into  the  woof  of  the  "Iron  Brigade."  Col. 
Morrow  was v equal  to  all  requirements,  enterprising,  brave,  and 
ambitious,  he  stepped  at  once  into  a  circle  of  the  best  and  most 
experienced  regimental  commanders  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Lieutenant  Clayton  K.  Rogers,  of  company  "I,"  was  serving 
on  the  staff  of  General  Doubleday,  who  commanded  our  division. 

*See  report  of  General  Abner  Doubleday,  Page  465,  Vol.  21,  War  Records. 
tVol.  xxi.     Pages  642  to  644,  War  Records. 


113 

I  give  from  another  writer  an  account  of  Lieutenant  Rogers' 
ride  to  save  the  pickets  on  the  stormy  night  of  our  retreat : 

''Splendidly  mounted,  Lieutenant  Rogers  rushed  down  to  the 
extreme  left  with  no  regard  to  roads  but  straight  as  a  bee  flies. 
The  left  once  gained,  he  moderates  his  pace  and  whispers  into 
the  ear  of  each  astonished  officer,  'Order  every  man  in  your 
command  to  fallback  steadily  and  silently,  gradually  close  *up 
your  ranks  and  move  swiftly  to  the  bridges.  Whisper  these 
orders  into  their  ears  man  by  man.'  So,  quietly  but  rapidly  he 
speeds  down  the  picket  line  while  the  propitious  storm  howls 
with  unabated  fury.  One  by  one  our  drenched  boys  are  falling 
back  and  drawing  in  together.  Silently  as  shadows  the  whole 
picket  line  steals  across  the  plain.  And  now  as  the  ranks  closed 
up  for  rapid  marching,  'double  double  quick'  is  about  the  pace. 

The  wild  sweep  of  the  storm  sounds  ever  and  anon  terribly 
like  the  murmur  of  excited  pursuit  but  no  rebel  thunder  bolt 
comes  darting  out  of  the  darkness.  No  rebel  bullet  strikes 
down  a  single  man.  Half  an  hour  after  the  order  was  whispered 
into  the  ear  of  the  soldiers  the  whole  picket  line  is  moving 
swiftly  down  the  bank  and  reaches  the  bridge;  only  one  bridge 
remains,  for  the  other  had  been  already  removed,  and  at  it's 
head  stand  the  engineers  all  ready  to  cast  off  the  pontoons  and 
float  them  across  the  river.  Another  moment  and  the  floating 
causeway  trembles  beneath  the  quiet  tread  of  the  rejoicing  column 
and  Lieutenant  Rogers,  grimly  smiling,  as  the  last  files  reach  the 
bridge,  moves  over  also." 

General  Doubleday  says  in  his  official  report :  "Before  daylight 
Lieutenant  Rogers  of  the  sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  acting 
aide-de-camp,  drew  them  (the  pickets)  all  in  successfully  to  the 
last  man.  They  owe  their  safety,  in  my  opinion,  to  the  judgment 
and  coolness  of  this  young  officer."  Lieut.  Colonel  Williams  of 
the  igth  Indiana  is,  also,  highly  commended  in  the  official  reports. 
(See  Reports  of  Doubleday  and  Cutler.) 

The  brothers,  Clayton  E.  and  Earl  M.  Rogers  were  at  this  time 
Lieutenants  in  company  "I,"  under  Captain  John  A.  Kellogg. 
These  were  three  strong  men,  and  their  company  had  become  an 
exceedingly'  fine  body  of  soldiers.  Many  of  the  men  of  this 
company  were  pioneers  who  had  gone  west  to  subdue  the  wilder- 


114 

ness  known  in  the  early  history  of  Wisconsin  as  "Bad  Ax" 
county.  Clayton  Rogers  was  squarely  built  and  of  a  powerful 
frame.  He  possessed  great  energy  and  he  was  an  indefatigable 
worker.  He  seemed  to  be  absolutely  fearless  in  battle.  Karl 
Rogers  was  tall  and  slight  but  firmly  knit.  He  was  an  especial 
favorite  in  the  regiment,  being  familiarly  called  "Bony"  from  a 
fancied  resemblance  to  Napolean  Bonaparte.  He  had  an  epi 
grammatic  manner  of  expression  that  gave  his  sayings  pertinence 
and  force.  "Bony"  Rogers  was  of  the  finest  type  of  a  gallant 
and  dashing  soldier,  and  he  was  a  remarkably  keen  and  quick 
witted  man. 

After  crossing  the  pontoon  on  the  night  of  the  i5th,  our  brigade 
bivouacked  in  the  woods  about  two  miles  from  the  river.  While 
we  were  here,  the  enemy  fired  upon  us  with  their  Whitworth 
rifled  cannon  which  must  have  been  planted  three  miles  away. 
Colonel  Bragg,  Dr.  John  C.  Hall'  and  I  were  sitting  at  breakfast 
in  a  wall  tent,  when  crash  went  one  of  these  Whitworth  bolts 
through  the  limbs  of  a  tree  directly  over  us.  This  startled  us 
somewhat  but  we  put  on  the  appearance  of  paying  no  regard  to 
it.  Oh,  no,  we  did  not  mind  it.  Another  bolt  came  with  its 
unearthly  scream  on  the  line,  barely  missing  the  ridge  pole  of  the 
tent.  We  had  no  further  appetite  for  breakfast  in  that  locality, 
and  we  scattered  without  delay. 

On  December  i6th,  1862,  Mr.  Cutler  in  Congress  at  Washing 
ton  noted  in  his  memorandum  book  some  of  the  results  of  the 
defeat:  "This  is  a  day  of  darkness  and  peril  to  the  country. — The 
great  trouble  is  the  loss  of  confidence  in  the  management  of  the 
army.  Under  McClellan  nothing  was  accomplished.  Now 
Burnside  fails  on  the  first  trial.  McClellan's  friends  chuckle  and 
secretly  rejoice  over  the  result. — The  Democrats  cry  peace  and 
compromise,  clamor  for  McClellan,  denounce  the  radicals,  do 
everything  to  embarrass  the  government.  Judge  (W.  D.)  Kelly 
of  Pennsylvania,  made  a  capital  speech  in  the  House  to-day,  in 
favor  of  the  Proclamation,  which  is  now  being  attacked  by  the 
Democrats,  in  hopes 'the  President  will  not  enforce  it." 

The  proclamation  was  to  be  in  force  from  and  after  January 
ist,  1863. 


115 

(Letter.)  CAMP  NEAR  BELLE  PLAINE,  VIRGINIA,  j 

DECEMBER  25th,  1862.     j 

"We  are  now  in  camp  near  the  Potomac  river,  at  a  place  called 
Belle  Plaine.  We  have  a  fine  view  of  the  broad  river  and  are 
pleasantly  located.  We  are  building  substantial  winter  quarters, 
and  hope  to  be  permitted  to  remain  here  all  winter.  I  have  just 
returned  from  Washington  city  where  I  enjoyed  a  pleasant  visit 
with  Uncle  William  (Win.  P.  Cutler)  and  other  friends  there.  I 
brought  out  to-day  the  canned  peaches  you  sent  me.  They  were 
pronounced  magnificent  by  all  of  our  mess  at  our  Christmas 
dinner.  (The  mess  referred  to  consisted  of  Dr.  A.  W.  Preston, 
Dr.  John  C.  Hall,  Dr.  A.  D.  Andrews,  and  Major  R.  R.  Dawes. 
Upon  this  occasion  Lieutenant  Colonel  E.  S.  Bragg  was  an 
honored  guest.) 

This  army  seems  to  be  overburdened  with  second  rate  men  in 
high  positions,  from  General  Burnside  down.  Common  place 
and  whisky  are  too  much  in  power  for  the  most  hopeful  future. 
This  winter  is,  indeed,  the  Valley  Forge  of  the  war.  The  Doctors 
and  I  have  built  a  very  substantial  log-house  with  two  rooms  and 
a  good  floor.  Dr.  Andrews  is  ingenious  in  fixing  up  little  con 
veniences  and  Dr.  Preston  likes  to  have  things  nice.  Dr.  Hall 
and  I  get  the  benefit  of  their  skill.  All  is  quiet  on  the  Rappa- 
hannock  since  the  battle. 

General  James  S.  Wadsworth  is  now  in  command  of  our  division, 
in  place  of  Gen.  Doubleday  who  is  a  gallant  officer.  I  saw  him  at 
Antietam,  where  he  commanded  our  division.  He  was  remarka 
bly  cool  and  at  the  very  front  of  battle,  near  battery  B — at  the 
haystacks.  He  was  with  Major  Anderson  at  Fort  Sumter.  He 
urged  Anderson  to  open  fire  upon  the  rebels  to  prevent  their 
constructing  works.  But  Anderson  was  reluctant  to  open  fire  at 
all.  Doubleday  sighted  and  fired  the  first  gun  of  the  war  at  Fort 
Sumpter." 
(Letter.)  CAMP  NEAR  BELLE  PLAINE,  JANUARY  loth,  1863. 

"I  was  agreeably  astonished  by  an  arrival.  An  orderly  came 
to  my  quarters  yesterday  and  said,  'Major,  there  is  a  box  for  you 
at  brigade  headquarters.'  I  found  nobody  at  headquarters  who 
knew  whence  or  how  it  came  and  of  course  nobody  had  any 
charges  to  prefer.  There  was  a  mixture  of  jelly  and  dried  apples 


116 

but  I  managed  to  save  everything  but  a  little  jelly  and  a  glass 
bottle  of  catsup  that  had  been  broken.  The  labels  were  smeared 
with  a  peculiar  plaster  of  jelly  and  catsup,  so  that  it  was  impossible 
for  me  to  make  out  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  all  of  the  luxuries. 
I  deciphered  enough  to  learn  that  several  of  my  friends  con 
tributed.  If  they  could  know  how  good  such  things  taste  after 
a  dreary  routine  of  hard  tack  and  ham  they  might  appreciate  the 
depth  of  my  gratitude.  We  had  another  high  old  dinner  at  the 
Doctors  quarters,  as  our  cabin  is  called." 

The  regiment  was  very  comfortably  quartered  in  this  camp  at 
Belle  Plaine.  The  men  had  all  built  substantial  log  houses  and 
provided  themselves  with  rude  but  comfortable  beds.  By  long 
association  officers  and  then  of  the  First  Army  Corps  had  become 
familiarly  acquainted  with  each  other.  This  greatly  enlarged  our 
social  circle.  A  large  room  was  constructed,  the  walls  being  of 
logs,  near  the  camp  of  our  regiment  for  public  gatherings  and 
merry  making.  Here  the  young  officers  had  periodical  meetings, 
and  there  were  hilarious  songs,  speeches  and  other  amusing  pub 
lic  performances. 

*"BURNSIDE'S  STICK  IN  THE  MUD." 

Tuesday  forenoon,  January  2oth,  1863,  the  regiment  left  its 
comfortable  quarters  near  Belle  Plaine  and  marched  toward  the 
Rappahannock  river.  Nothing  worthy  of  note  occurred  until 
about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  it  began  to  rain.  It 
was  a  cold  and  driving  storm  which  aided  by  the  gale  penetrated 
the  clothing  and  cut  the  faces  of  the  men  as  they  staggered 
along.  It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  the  artillery  and 
wagon  trains  were  dragged  through  the  deep  mud.  As  General 
Burnside  floundered  through  the  mire,  a  teamster  whose  mules 
were  hopelessly  stuck  in  the  mud,  respectfully  raising  his  cap 
said:  "General,  the  auspicious  moment  has  arrived."  (He  quoted 
the  expression ,  from  the  General's  well-known  order  of  march.) 
We  bivouacked  for  that  night  near  Stoneman's  switch  on  the 
Acquia  Creek  R.  R.  The  storm  raged  and  howled,  and  the  rain 
poured  in  torrents  during  the  night.  "Early  in  the  morning,"  to 
quote  another,  "the  troops  began  to  wade  on  to  glory."  The 

*Volume  XXI,  Page  752,  War  Records. 


117 

rain  still  poured  down  upon  us.  The  column  floundered  on  until 
about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  advancing  at  the  rate  of  one 
mile  an  hour.  We  bivouacked  in  lines  of  battle  facing  the 
Rappahannock,  having  made  about  five  miles  during  the  day. 
We  were  in  the  woods  and  not  far  from  the  river.  We  remained 
here  during  the  night  and  all  of  Thursday,  January,  22nd. 
Friday  morning,  the  effort  to  cross  the  river  having  been  aban 
doned,  we  started  back  for  our  old  camp  near  Belle  Plaine.  The 
mud,  the  cold  winter  rain,  the  wild  wind  and  smoke  of  camp 
fires  of  wet  wood,  had  inflicted  discomforts,  even  miseries,  upon 
our  men  not  easily  described,  and  the  ignoble  "mud  campaign" 
will  ever  hold  its  place  in  the  memories  of  all  the  soldiers  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  as  firmly  as  the  hardest  fought  battles. 
When  we  started  to  return,  numbers  of  the  men  reported 
themselves  to  the  Surgeons  as  sick,  and  unfit  to  march.  There 
was  but  a  single  ambulance  at  command,  which  was  soon  over 
loaded.  It  was  a  hard  decision  for  our  surgeons  as  to  who  should 
ride  and  who  march.  As  the  column  was  about  to  move,  a  man 
came  out  of  the  ranks  with  his  knapsack  and  accoutrements  on 
and  declared  himself  too  sick  to  march.  The  Surgeon  put  his 
knapsack,  gun,  and  all  his  load  into  the  ambulance,  but  could  not 
displace  sick  men  who  were  already  in  the  overloaded  vehicle. 
The  poor  fellow  succeeded  in  marching  about  half  the  distance 
to  our  camp,  when  he  laid  down  in  the  mud  in  a  fence  corner  and 
died.  He  had  not  before  been  even  reported  on  the  sick-list.  It 
was  only  another  form  of  the  casualties  which  in  a  thousand 
ways  destroyed  human  life  in  the  war. 

When  in  the  evening  we  reached  our  old  camp  at  Belle  Plaine, 
we  found  our  comfortable  and  elaborately  constructed  log- 
houses  occupied  by  the  fiftj^-fifth  Ohio  regiment.  Our  men  were 
angry  and  high  words  were  likely  to  culminate  in  a  row,  when 
the  matter  was  happily  adjusted  by  an  invitation  from  Colonel 
John  C.  Lee,  commanding  the  Ohio  regiment,  to  come  in  and . 
share  the  quarters  with  them.  He  said  the  fault  was  not  with 
them,  but  with  the  General  who  had  ordered  them  to  go  into  our 
quarters.  The  greatest  hilarity  and  good  feeling  prevailed 
between  the  two  regiments  after  this  and  the  men  of  the  fifty- 
fifth,  pitying  our  forlorn  condition,  gave  up  the  best  they  had  for 


118 

supper.  The  next  day  the  fifty-fifth  was  ordered  away.  We  now 
remained  settled  in  our  winter  camp  at  Belle  Plaine.  The  Sur 
geons  and  myself  resumed  possession  of  our  house.  We  spent 
many  cheerful  hours  during  the  long  winter  evenings  in  social 
chat  or  deep  discussion,  and  the  days  were  passed  in  the 
monotonous  routine  of  camp  duty. 

On  January  26th,  W.  P.  Cutler  noted  as  follows  in  his  journal : 
"To-day  it  is  said  that  Burnside  has  been  relieved  at  his  own 
request,  and  Hooker  put  in  his  place.  Our  Potomuc  army  is  so 
far  a  failure,  and  seems  to  be  demoralized  by  the  political 
influences  that  have  been  brought  to  bear  upon  it.  All  is  confu 
sion  and  doubt.  The  President  is  tripped  up  by  his  generals, 
who  seem  to  have  no  heart  in  their  work.  God  alone  can  guide 
us  through  this  terrible  time  of  doubt,  uncertainty,  treachery, 
imbecility  and  infidelity.  Thaddeus  Stevens  jokingly  remarked 
that  he  thought  there  was  a  God  when  he  was  as  young  as  Kel 
logg  of  Michigan,  (who  said  we  must  remember  him)  but  he  had 
given  it  up  lately." 

The  complete  failure  of  General  Burnside,  in  the  mud  cam 
paign,  added  to  his  disaster  at  Fredericksburgh,  ended  his  career 
as  commander  of  our  army  and  ^General  Joseph  Hooker 
now  succeeded  him.  General  Hooker  was  much  admired  in  the 
army.  He  was  grand  in  his  personal  appearance  and  military 
bearing  but  his  assignment  to  the  command  did  not  restore  con 
fidence  to  the  country.  At  this  dark  period  of  the  war,  grave 
apprehension  existed  among  members  of  congress  as  to  the  con 
dition  for  service  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  It  was  alleged 
that  it  was  demoralized,  defective  in  it's  discipline,  and  that  the 
body  of  the  soldiers  was  particularly  hostile  to  the  policy  of 
Emancipation.  It  was  said  that  the  army  was  incensed  at  the 
Administration  because  of  the  removal  of  General  McClellan,  and 
that  this  feeling  was  intensified  by  the  flat  and  dismal  failure  of 
.  Burnside,  the  weakest  army  leader  the  war  had  yet  developed. 
The  papers  of  the  Hon.  Win.  P.  Cutler,  now  deceased,  show 
that  in  secret  caucus  of  members  of  the  37th  Congress  this 
supposed  condition  of  affairs  was  anxiously  discussed  by  the 

*Pages  3  to  5,     Vol.  xxy.     Part  II,   War  Records. 


119 

members  of  the  Republican,  or  war  party.  With  a  view  of  get 
ting  my  unbiased  testimony,  Mr.  Cutler  wrote  me  several  letters, 
now  lost,  in  which  he  made  inquiry  concerning  these  matters. 
He  concealed  appearance  of  concern  on  his  own  part. 

(Letter)  CAMP  NEAR  BELLE  PLAINE,  ) 

FEBRUARY  i5th,  1863.      j 

To  HON.  WM.  P.  CUTLER: — "I  can  speak  certainly  only  of 
the  old  brigade.  You  can  depend  upon  it  that  it  is  not  demoral 
ized.  I  am  now  and  have  been  nearly  all  winter  serving  as  a 
member  of  a  general  court  martial.  I  see  no  difference  between 
this  winter  and  last  winter  in  the  character  or  number  of  offenders 
brought  to  trial.  There  is  as  high  a  tone  of  discipline  through 
out  the  army  as  there  ever  was  when  it  was  under  command  of 
General  McClellan. 

I  would  get  a  leave  of  absence  for  a  few  days  and  go  home, 
but  under  General  Hooker's  orders,  so  long  as  either  of  the  other 
field  officers  are  away,  I  cannot  get  one.  Since  Col.  Cutler  has 
been  wounded,  there  is  little  likelihood  of  our  having  three  offi 
cers  here  or  of  my  getting  away." 

(Letter)  CAMP  NEAR  BELLE  PLAINE, 

FEBRUARY  loth,  1863. 

"It  is  easier  for  you  to  say  'get  a  furlough'  than  it  is  for  me 
to  get  'a  leave  of  absence.'  I  think  however,  as  you  say,  that  I 
have  earned  that  privilege,  if  any  one  has.  I  spent  nine  months 
of  last  year  without  a  single  night  out  of  camp.  I  am  not  yet  a 
Lieutenant  Colonel.  The  Senate  has  not  confirmed  the  nomina 
tion  of  Colonel  Cutler,  which  is  necessary  to  make  him  a  Briga 
dier  General.  From  all  I  can  learn  they  will  do  so  and  I  expect 
soon  to  be  promoted. 

There  is  talk  of  organizing  the  old  regiments  into  battalions 
of  lour  hundred  men  each.  In  that  event,  I  would  have  com 
mand  of  one.  I  enclose  to  you  to  keep  carefully  a  fragment  of 
our  Wisconsin  State  color.  This  flag  has  become  much  tattered 
and  some  of  the  old  rags  that  were  trimmed  off  I  have  saved.  It 
was  this  flag  that  I  carried  to  the  battery  at  the  battle  of 
Antietam." 


120 

THE  NORTHUMBERLAND  COUNTY  RAID.* 
An  expedition  under  command  of  Col.  lyucius  Fairchild  and 
consisting  of  236  men  of  the  2nd  and  250  men  of  the  6th  Wis 
consin  regiments  left  Belle  Plaine,  February  i2th,  1863,  and 
embarked  upon  the  steamer  Alice  Price.  The  steamer  proceeded 
down  the  Potomac  river.  The  day  was  fine  and  a  sail  upon  the 
broad  and  beautiful  river  was  much  enjoyed  by  our  men,  to  whom 
it  was  a  novelty.  The  troops  were  in  light  marching  order  and 
carried  six  days  rations.  Howard  J.  Huntington,  in  a  letter 
published  in  the  Baraboo,  Wisconsin,  Republic  says :  "Just  at 
dusk,  we  were  halted  by  a  U.  S.  gunboat,  guarding  the  Potomac, 
from  whom  friend  or  foe  must  obtain  permission  ere  they  can 
pass."  On  Friday  morning  we  turned  into  Cone  river,  a  small 
inlet  in  Northumberland  county,  Virginia.  Here  the  officers  of 
the  steamer  caused  the  lead  to  be  cast  for  sounding.  It  was 
evidently  the  first  time  many  of  our  men  had  ever  witnessed 
this  performance  and  they  appear  to  have  been  much  impressed 
by  it.  When  the  steamer  landed,  Colonel  Fairchild  marched  to 
Heathville,  several  miles  in  the  interior,  collecting  mules,  horses, 
bacon  and  forage  of  all  descriptions. 

He  left  me  with  about  two  hundred  men  in  command  at  the 
steamboat.  A  foraging  party  under  command  of  Major  John 
Mansfield  of  the  second  Wisconsin,  discovered  a  large  amount  of 
bacon  stored  upon  the  premises  of  one  Dr.  Smith.  I  rode  to  the 
plantation  and  found  a  fine  establishment,  and  convincing  evi 
dence  from  the  extraordinary  amount  of  stores  accumulated  that 
there  was  smuggling  from  Maryland.  Major  Mansfield  had  very 
properly  seized  Dr.  Smithf  as  a  prisoner  of  war.  He  was  dili 
gently  transferring  the  bacon  to  the  steamer.  As  I  rode  by  a 
row  of  negro  quarters,  an  old  negro  slave  with  his  hat  under  his 
arm,  his  voice  tremulous  with  fear  and  excitement,  said:  "Massa, 
is  you  the  big  ossifer?"  I  asked  him  what  he  wanted.  He  said : 
"We  heard  you'uns  would  make  us  colored  people  free.  The 
people  want  to  go  with  you.  Some  says  we  can  go  and  some 

*Report  Col.  L.  Fairchild, Vol.  xxv,  Part  I,  Page  16,  War  Records. 

Letter  Gen.  Joseph  Hooker, "      "        "     II,     "    88,      " 

tMy  notes  say  Jacob  Smith.  Colonel  Fairchild's  report  has  it  James 
Smith. 


121 

says  we  can't  go."  I  told  him  that  they  could  go  if  they  chose, 
and  rode  off,  while  the  old  man  profoundly  blessed  the  "good 
God"  who  had  sent  us  there.  When  I  got  back  to  the  steamer, 
I  found  the  prisoner,  Dr.  Smith,  an  intelligent  and  gentlemanly 
man  and  I  had  a  pleasant  conversation  with  him.  Hearing  a 
commotion  we  went  to  the  outer  guard  of  the  boat  where  a  strange 
scene  met  our  eyes.  There  were  men,  women  and  children, 
about  seventy  slaves,  gathered  upon  the  beach.  They  were  of 
every  age  and  size  from  the  old  patriarch  who  had  interviewed 
the  "big  ossifer,"  to  babes  at  the  breast.  They  had  their  worldly  all 
with  them.  I  gave  Dr.  Smith  to  understand  that  his  slaves  were 
free  under  our  flag,  and  could  go  on  the  boat  if  they  chose,  and 
that  he  should  not  interfere  with  their  decision. 

In  the  evening  the  troops  returned  from  Heath ville  and,  Colonel 
Fairchild  out-ranking  me,  all  questions  were  taken  out  of  my 
hands.  Forty-three  horses  and  mules  had  been  captured  by 
Colonel  Fairchild.  A  part  of  the  horses  and  mules  (28)  were 
mounted  by  men  and  sent  over-land  under  command  of  Lieutenant 
D.  B.  Daily  of  the  second  Wisconsin.  In  regard  to  the  seventy 
slaves,  I  quote  from  Howard  J.  Huntington's  contemporary  ac 
count  of  what  took  place  on  Saturday  morning  :  "At  this  stage  of 
the  proceedings,  something  unusually  interesting  took  place. 
Dr.  Smith  had  been  allowed  to  go  to  his  house  for  some  purpose, 
previous  to  his  departure  for  Washington,  and  we  were  a  little 
surprised  to  see  the  guard  returning  with  him  accompanied  by  a 
young  lady."  This  lady*  was  a  remarkably  handsome  and  mani 
festly  superior  woman.  Her  husband  was  said  to  be  a  colonel  in 
the  army  of  General  Lee.  Huntington  continues  :  "It  was  the 
Doctor's  sister.  She  had  come  to  make  a  plea  for  her  own  and 
her  brother's  property.  They  made  straightway  for  the  cabin 
where  they  found  Colonel  Fairchild,  and  immediately  the  court 
opened.  The  appeal  was  strong  and  skillful,  but  the  Colonel  was 
equal  to  the  emergency  and  kept  in  view  the  fact  that  he  was 
acting  for  the  government  that  sent  him.  She  seemed  to  under 
stand  that  we  were  going  to  take  her  slaves,  whether  they  wished 
to  go  or  not,  but  the  Colonel  assured  her  that  he  did  not  ask 

*I  made  no  contemporary  record  of  this  lady's  name.  In  1870,  my 
recollection  was  "Mrs.  Brockenbrough." 


122 

them  to  leave  and  that  if  she  could  induce  them  to  remain,  she 
might  do  so."  The  lady  went  among  the  slaves  with  tears  in  her 
eyes  and  implored  them  by  every  recollection  and  attachment  of 
a  life-time,  and  by  the  sacred  memories  of  their  dead,  not  to  go 
away,  and  she  painted  in  high  colors  the  miseries  that  would  be 
inflicted  upon  them  when  they  became  "free  niggers"  up  north. 

The  slaves  regarded  her  with  affection  and  the  highest  respect> 
and  they  were  deeply  moved.  But  there  were  friends  of  freedom 
and  fair  play  among  the  men  who  carried  muskets.  They  warned 
the  negroes  that  before  our  steamer  was  out  of  sight  the  chains 
would  be  on  them,  and  they  would  be  driven  south.  They  told 
them  that  their  liberty  was  here,  to  take  it.  I  remember  the 
squeaking  tenor  voice  of  private  Edwin  C.  Jones,  -of  company 
"E,"  asking,  "Shall  these  babes  be  slaves  ?  Almighty  God  forbid 
it !  "  The  negroes  all  went  on  the  boat.  The  lady's  maid  hung 
weeping  upon  her,  but  she  went  with  her  people  to  be  free.  To 
quote  Huntington  again  :  "The  young  lady  was  escorted  home 
safely  by  the  guard,  and  after  burning  some  boats  which  had 
been  used  for  smuggling,  we  started  for  home,  where  we  arrived 
Sunday  evening."  As  the  steamer  passed  up  the  Potomac,  the 
officers  gathered  in  the  cabin  and  there  was  a  sharp  discussion  of 
the  policy  of  emancipation.  Some  officers  expressed  themselves 
opposed  to  it,  while  Dr.  John  C.  Hall,  in  his  strong  and  eloquent 
support  of  the  proclamation,  was  quite  able  to  cope  with  them  in 
the  discussion.  An  interested  listener  to  this  debate  was  our 
prisoner,  Dr.  Smith.  The  impression  it  made  upon  him  was 
surprising  to  Dr.  Hall  and  myself.  A  few  books  had  been  taken 
from  his  premises  which  were  gathered  up  and  returned  to  him. 
Calling  Dr.  Hall  and  myself  to  the  outer  guard  of  the  steamer, 
he  presented  each  of  us  with  a  book.  My  own  present  was  a 
small  copy  of  Shakespeare.  He  said  it  was  a  token  of  respect 
for  the  "manly  position"  we  had  taken  in  the  argument.  He 
condemned  in  strong  terms  the  views  of  the  officers  opposed  to 
us  in  the  discussion  and  said  if  they  really  believed  what  they 
argued,  he  looked  upon  them  as  "murderers  without  cause  of  his 
people,  and  robbers  of  his  property." 

Sunday  night,  in  a  pouring  rain,  the  regiment  disembarked  and 
marched  back  to  our  camp.  The  mud  was  very  deep,  and  in  the 


123 

pitchy  darkness,  the  men  plunged  and  staggered  through  it  with 
great  difficulty  and  serious  loss  of  temper.  Suddenly  some  wag 
sung  out  with  the  peculiar  intonation  of  the  lead  heaver:  "Four 
fathom."  Instantly  from  some  other  part  of  the  column  came 
out  in  drawling  intonation,  "Four  and  a  half."  Then  another 
shouted:  "Quarter  less  twain,"  but  when  the  squeaking  voice  of 
orator  Jones  sang  out  "No  bottom,"  the  regiment  raised  a  univer 
sal  shout,  and  waded  into  camp  without  further  complaint. 

(Letter.)         CAMP  NEAR  BELLE  PLAINE,  FEB'Y  24th,  1863. 

To  W.  P.  Cutler: — "The  conscription  law  passed  by  the  Senate 
gives  great  satisfaction  to  all  patriots  in  the  army.  It  is  a  move 
in  the  right  direction  to  fill  up  the  old  regiments.  The  prime 
fault  of  our  military  system  has  been  to  continue  to  send  new 
organizations  into  the  field,  raw  and  green,  while  the  old  regi 
ments,  trained  and  tried,  and  their  officers  made  fit  by  experience 
to  lead,  are  allowed  to  dwindle  down  to  nothing.  I  think  the 
country  has  no  cause  to  distrust  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  I 
have  conversed  with  many  officers,  and  all  express  themselves 
hopefully  and  respectfully  of  our  Commander.  For  myself,  I 
see  much  that  is  encouraging  in  the  long  continuance  of  the 
war.  The  more  I  come  in  contact  with  Southern  ideas  and 
institutions,  the  more  firmly  I  become  convinced  that  there  can 
be  no  understanding  between  us  so  long  as  a  vestige  of  their 
accursed  institution  of  slavery  remains.  I  expect  no  peace  until 
its  destruction  is  accomplished.  Two  years  of  bloody  and 
unsuccessful  war  have  brought  our  people  to  a  point  that  they 
could  have  reached  in  no  other  way.  They  are  willing  to  give 
us  the  men  and  the  money,  the  power,  and  I  say,  do  not  let  us 
stop  short  of  our  destiny,  the  entire  destruction  oi  slavery." 


VI. 

A  Visit  to  Ohio—A  Public  .Address— Promoted— General  James  3. 
Wadsworth— Preparations  for  the  Campaign- General  Lysan- 
der  Cutler— Col.  Bragg's  Letter  with  our  old  Flag— Reviewed 
Iby  the  President — General  ^Joseph  ffoolzer — flow  to  get  Ready 
for  a  Battle  Campaign — Twenty-fourth  Michigan  Makes  a  Raid 
— Campaign  Opens — I  Entrust  Dr.  A.  W.  Preston,  with  Letters  to 
£>e  Mailed  Only  if  J  am  Killed— jPitz  Ffugh's  Crossing — Experien 
ces  at  Chancellorsville — Dismal  Retreat — Dr.  Preston  Mails  my 
Letters— Resulting  Troubles  and  Excitements— My  Mother  Re 
fuses  to  Talfe  my  own  Word  that  I  am  Killed. 

On  March  roth,  1863,  I  started  for  a  visit  to  Ohio.  I  had  a 
leave  of  absence  for  fifteen  days.  It  was  a  needed  and  delight 
ful  relaxation  from  the  exacting  duties  of  the  military  service, 
and  it  was  my  fate  to  transact  business  of  great  importance,  as 
will  soon  appear.  While  at  Marietta,  I  received  an  invitation 
from  prominent  citizens  to  deliver  a  public  address.* 

I  quote  from  the  published  report  of  this  address,  such  extracts  as 
give  the  contemporary  opinions  and  observations  of  a  soldier  in  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  upon  subjects  of  importance  in  its  history. 

MARIETTA,  OHIO,  March  16th,  1863. 

MAJOR  RUFUS  R.  DAWES.  Dear  Sir: — "The  undersigned,  believing  it  would 
he  gratifying  to  many  of  our  citizens  to  hear  from  you  in  regard  to  the  war, 
and  the  state  of  the  country,  would  respectfully  invite  you  to  address  the 
public  of  Marietta,  at  the  Court  House  at  such  time  as  you  may  designate. 

R.  E.  Harte, 
Thos.  W.  Ewart, 

E.  W.  Evans, 

F.  A.  Wheeler, 
Chas.  R.  Rhodes, 
Wm.  S.  Ward, 
Thos.  Wickes, 

S.  P.  Hildreth  and  others." 

Editorial  from  the  Marietta,  Ohio,  Register. 

"Lieutenant  Colonel  Dawes  was  on  a  visit  to  his  home  in  this  city.  He 
accepted  an  invitation  by  many  citizens,  and  addressed  the  people  on  the 
evening  of  March  19th,  at  the  Court  House,  which  was  crowded  with  an 
audience  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  The  address  gave  the  highest  satisfac 
tion  and  was  listened  to  with  almost  breathless  interest.  It  was  delivered 
in  a  forcible  and  eloquent  manner.  At  the  close,  the  audience  voted  hear 
tily  to  request  a  copy  for  publication." 


125 
i 
"  'Is  tht  Army  of  the  Potomac  demoralized? ' 

I  have  belonged  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  during  almost 
the  whole  of  its  existence,  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying, 
that  in  point  of  discipline  arid  general  efficiency,  the  standard  is 
higher  this  winter  than  ever  before.  I  think  the  men  are  in 
better  spirits.  There  are  several  reasons  for  this  opinion.  They 
are  now  old  soldiers,  inured  to  the  toils,  hardships  and  dangers 
of  the  service,  and  skillful  in  making  the  best  and  most  of  the 
comforts  with  which  they  are  provided.  The  paymasters  have 
been  around  this  winter  and  arrearage's  have  been  paid  up. 
Nothing  is  more  disheartening  and  demoralizing  to  the  soldier 
than  to  feel  that  his  family  is  suffering  at  home  for  want  of  his 
small  and  richly  earned  wages.  The  men  are  better  provided 
this  winter  with  good  and  healthful  rations,  than  at  any  time 
before  in  the  history  of  our  army.  Fresh  bread,  onions,  potatoes, 
and  fresh  beef  are  regularly  furnished  in  addition  to  the  old 
stipend  of  hard  tack  and  side  meat.  An  encouraging  system  of 
furloughs,  as  a  reward  of  soldierly  conduct,  has  been  instituted. 
You  can  hardly  realize  with  what  satisfaction  the  soldiers  hailed 
general  order  number  three,*  on  the  subject  of  furloughs.  In 
short,  the  soldiers  feel  that  their  personal  comfort  and  happiness, 
so  far  as  attainable  in  the .  army,  is  being  looked  after  and  they 
feel  encouraged.  Breaches  of  discipline  and  soldierly  conduct 
have  been  more  surely  punished  this  winter  than  usual.  Orders 
have  been  enforced  against  political  discussions,  and  disrespect 
ful  and  treasonable  language  towards  the  government  or  superior 
officers.  Copperhead  newspapers  no  longer  monopolize  the 
circulation  among  the  soldiers,  and,  by  the  prompt  dismissal  of 
disaffected  and  disloyal  officers,  the  army  is  being  purged  of  the 
damnable  heresy,  that  a  man  can  be  a  friend  to  the  government, 
and  yet  throw  every  clog  in  the  way  of  the  administration  and 
the  prosecution  of  the  war.  No,  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  is 
not  demoralized  nor  has  it  ever  been. 

'How  does  the  army  like  General  Hooker?' 

The  army  likes  General  Hooker.     They  like  him  because  he 
is  'fighting  Joe  Hooker.'     They  like  him  because  of  the  onions 

*Page  11,  Volume  XXV,  Part  II,  War  Records. 


126 

and  potatoes  he  has  furnished  them,  and  they  like  him  because  he  is 
the  commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  they  expect 
him  to  lead  them  to  victory.  Victory  is  what  we  want  no 
matter  whether  Hooker,  Burnside  or  McClellan  leads  us.  The 
bones  of  our  comrades  and  dear  friends  are  bleaching  all  over 
the  battle  grounds  of  the  east.  We  have  marched  and  we  have 
countermarched,  toiled  and  suffered,  without  realizing  the  hopes 
and  expectations  of  the  country.  Now  we  want,  and  we  expect, 
under  'fighting  Joe,'  such  a  triumph  as  will  place  us  right  upon 
the  records  of  history,  and  the  glory  and  blessings  of  which  will 
repay  us  for  the  disasters  and  sufferings  of  the  past.  The  fight 
ing  of  an  army  depends  more  upon  the  courage  and  good  faith 
of  subordinate  commanders  than  seems  to  be  understood  through 
out  the  country.  From  such,  or  many  other  causes,  General 
Hooker  may  fail,  but,  we  feel  that  his  heart  is  in  the  work,  that 
he  is  a  fighting  man  and  we  have  great  hope. 

'How  does  the  army  like  the  Emancipation  Proclamation?' 
If  there  remains  any  one  in  the  army,  who  does  not  like  the 
Proclamation,  he  is  careful  to  keep  quiet  about  it.  We  are 
hailed  everywhere  by  the  negroes  as  their  deliverers.  They  all 
know  that  'Massa  lyinkum'  has  set  them  free,  and  I  never  saw 
one  not  disposed  to  take  advantage  of  the  fact.  The  negroes 
will  run  away  if  they  get  a  chance,  whenever  they  are  assured  of 
their  freedom,  and  that  the  Proclamation  places  it  beyond  the 
power  of  any  military  commander,  however  disposed,  to  prevent. 
Slavery  is  the  chief  source  of  wealth  in  the  South,  and  the  basis 
of  their  aristocracy,  and  my  observation  is  that  a  blow  at  slavery 
hurts  more  than  battalion  volleys.  It  strikes  at  the  vitals.  It  is 
foolish  to  talk  about  embittering  the  rebels  any  more  than  they 
are  already  embittered.  We  like  the  Proclamation  because  it 
hurts  the  rebels.  We  like  the  Proclamation  because  it  lets  the 
world  know  what  the  real  issue  is.  We  like  the  Proclamation 
because  it  gives  a  test  of  loyalty.  As  Governor  Andrew  Johnson, 
of  Tennessee,  says :  'If  you  want  to  find  a  traitor  North,  shake 
the  Emancipation  Proclamation  or  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  at 
him  and  he  will  dodge.'  We  like  the  Emancipation  Proclamation 
because  it  is  right,  and  because  it  is  the  edict  of  our  Commander 
in  Chief,  the  President  of  the  United  States. 


12? 

'How  does  the  army  like  the  conscription  law?' 
They  like  the  conscription  law  or  any  other  law  that  promises 
to  fill  the  shattered  ranks  of  their  battalions.  As  soldiers 
anxious  for  military  glory,  we  want  our  army  strengthened,  so 
that  we  may  achieve  military  success.  As  patriots,  we  desire 
such  a  force  put  in  the  field  this  summer  as  may  conquer  a  peace. 
The  old  regiments,  reduced  by  battle  and  disease  to  mere 
skeletons,  are  looking  anxiously  for  recruits.  Each  has  its  own 
record,  its  own  battles  inscribed  upon  its  banners,  and  each 
wishes  to  retain  its  own  identity,  which  it  can  only  do  by  being 
filled  up. 

We  hail  the  act  with  joy,  because  it  indicates  a  determination 
on  the  part  of  the  Government  to  meet  the  crisis.  We  feel 
encouraged  and  feel  hopeful.  Our  soldiers  need  encouragement 
as  well  as  reinforcement.  They  want  to  feel  that  they  are 
sustained  and  sympathized  with  by  their  friends  at  home. 
Nothing,  in  my  opinion,  has  been  more  demoralizing  to  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  than  letters  from  home  to  soldiers,  advising  them 
'to  get  out  of  it,  if  they  can, — that  they  have  done  their  share, — 
and  that  the  war  is  to  be  hopelessly  protracted.'  If  you  wish 
success,  write  encouraging  letters  to  your  soldiers.  Tell  them 
that  they  are  engaged  in  a  good  and  glorious  cause,  cheer  them 
on  as  enthusiastically  as  you  did  when  they  entered  the  service 
as  volunteers.  Tell  them  that  victory  will  be  sure  to  crown  their 
faithful  efforts.  Do  not  fill  the  ears  of  your  soldiers  with  tales  of 
troubles  and  privations  at  home,  caused  by  their  absence.  Worse 
troubles  would  come  to  you  should  rebel  arms  prevail.  Many  a 
poor  fellow  is  brought  before  the  severe  tribunal  of  a  court 
martial,  whose  greatest  crime  is  listening  to  and  obeying  the 
suggestions  of  father  or  mother  at  home.  We  like  the  conscrip 
tion  law  because  it  brings  matters  to  a  focus.  If  it  can  be 
enforced,  we  shall  bring  an  army  into  the  field  that  must  sweep 
all  before  it.  If  it  can  not  be  enforced,  the  future  is  very 
hopeless. 

'What  does  the  army  think  of  the  Copperheads?' 
They  think  that  any  citizen  of  the  North,  who  by  word,  deed, 
or  influenee,  throws  a  clog  in  the  way  of  an  earnest  and  vigorous 
prosecution  of  the  war,  so  long  as  there  is  a  rebel  in  arms,  gives 


128 

aid  and  comfort  to  the  enemies  of  his  country  and  deserves  their 
fate.  The  army  is  unanimous  in  this  opinion.  The  chief  hope 
of  traitors  South,  now  is  in  the  co-operation  of  traitors,  North. 
The  war  is  now  being  prosecuted  on  correct  principles,  and  for  a 
great  purpose,  the  re-establishment  of  republican  government 
throughout  the  land  on  the  basis  of  free  institutions,  and  the 
eternal  overthrow  of  a  inonied  aristocracy  based  on  slavery.  The 
consummation  of  so  grand  an  enterprise  will  be  a  step  forward  in 
the  history  of  the  world.  The  world  is  moving  forward,  and 
carrying  us  with  it.  We  can  not  resist  the  progress  of  events. 
However  prejudices  of  Copperheads  may  be  galled  at  the  policy 
of  the  government  or  the  conduct  of  the  war,  all  of  them  of 
sound  judgment  are  realizing  that  they  have  but  one  salvation, 
to  stand  by  the  government  in  its  peril.  Our  enemy  is  too  strong, 
too  earnest,  too  much  determined  to  rule  or  ruin,  to  admit  of  any 
compromise  or  half  way  ground. 

The  traitors  at  home  who  clog  the  government  in  its  righteous 
struggle,  will  go  down  to  history  with  infamy.  If  the  voice  from 
the  army  helps  to  open  their  eyes  to  this  fact,  I  beg  to  add  my 
voice  again.  We  want  to  fight  this  war  until  we  conquer  a  peace 
on  terms  that  will  be  honorable,  and  a  peace  that  can  be  lasting. 
The  traitor  who  aids  and  comforts  the  enemy  by  standing  in  the 
way  of  this,  has  our  heartiest  contempt  as  a  coward,  who  dares 
not  maintain  his  true  principles  by  an  honorable  appeal  to  arms. 

Do  not  expect  overwhelming  victories  of  us.  The  rebel  army 
in  our  front  is  too  skillful  in  maneuvering,  too  expert  in  retiring, 
too  strong  in  bayonets,  to  be  'gobbled  up  or  bagged.' 

Your  Army  of  the  Potomac  will  go  out  this  spring,  purged  of 
disloyalty,  the  men  stronger  in  health,  and  better  in  spirits  than 
ever  before.  Remember  that  the  same  men  are  there  who 
charged  again  and  again  the  deadly  rifle  pits  at  Fredericksburgh, 
who  swept  over  the  crest  at  South  Mountain,  and  who  struggled 
on  the  bloody  fields  of  Antietam.  The  army  is  more  anxious  for 
victory  than  you  can  be,  and  rest  assured  that  when  it  is  again 
called  to  battle  it  will  do  its  duty." 

(Letter.)  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  MARCH  2ist,  1863. 

"I  got  through  safely  to  this  point  in  twenty-four  hours.  I 
have  just  met  Frank  Haskell  who  comes  directly  from  Madison, 


129 

Wisconsin.     He  says  my  commission  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  has 

been  issued." 

(Letter.)  CAMP  NEAR  BEU,K  PLAINE,  MARCH  25th,  1863. 

"I  am  safe  and  sound  in  camp.  There  are  great  preparations 
everywhere  in  the  army  for  hard  campaigning,  and  doubtless  it 
will  be  attended  by  hard  fighting.  We  are  to  use  two  pack 
mules  to  a  regiment,  and  we  are  to  carry  ten  days  rations.  Field 
officers  are  required  to  furnish  their  own  transportation.  General 
Hooker  is  putting  his  army  in  a  thorough  state  of  preparation. 
General  Lysander  Cutler  has  been  assigned  to  the  command  of 
the  second  brigade,  first  division,  first  army  corps.  He  will  be  a 
near  neighbor.  Captain  John  A.  Kellogg  will  act  as  Adjutant 
General  on  his  staff.  The  Governor  has  commissioned  Bragg, 
Colonel;  myself,  Lieutenant  Colonel,  and  Captain  John  F. 
Hauser,  Major.  The  regiment  is  in  fine  trim  this  spring.  Indeed, 
all  I  said  in  my  speech  about  the  army  is  strictly  true.  My  visit 
home  was  pleasant  indeed  and  I  shall  go  into  the  new  campaign 
with  courage  and  hope,  renewed  by  the  sympathy  and  encourage 
ment  I  received  at  Marietta.  I  am  glad  to  be  on  record  in  that 
speech.  I  don't  want  stock  in  anything  better  than  that  kind  of 
doctrine  just  now.  I  have  just  got  back  from  a  visit  of  compli 
ment  to  General  James  S.  Wadsworth,  our  division  commander, 
by  the  officers  of  our  regiment.  Our  officers  went  in  a  body 
with  the  brigade  brass  band." 

General  Wadsworth  was  a  strong  character,  and  his  command 
of  our  division  left  a  deep  impression  upon  its  history.  The 
amount  of  army  supplies  handled  at  the  Belle  Plaine  Banding 
was  enormous,  and  the  roads  to  that  point  became  terrible.  In 
vain  were  they  corduroyed  with  pine  logs,  the  sharp-hoofed 
mules  would  go  down  in  the  mud  and  mire.  General  Wadsworth 
got  oxen  and  he  kept  them  "stall  fed"  near  his  own  headquarters. 
It  was  a  rare  treat  to  our  men  to  see  the  old  General  take  a  gad 
and  "whisper  to  the  calves."  He  took  great  interest  in  the  oxen 
and  was  often  seen  at  the  landing  giving  instructions  in  driving 
them.  He  was  an  intensely  practical  commander,  indefatigable 
as  a  worker,  and  looking  closely  after  details.  No  commander 
could  do  more  for  the  personal  comfort  of  his  men. 

"All  leaves  of  absence  are  now  cut  off.     Dr.  Andrews  is  in 


130 

great  trouble.  He  was  too  late  to  get  his  leave  of  absence  and 
has  to  go  into  the  campaign  without  the  privilege  of  the  long- 
hoped  for  visit  to  his  little  family.  He  feels  it  very  deeply. 
War  is  in  many  respects  brutalizing,  but  the  fortitude  and  moral 
courage  to  bear  up  cheerfully  and  manfully  under  its  discipline 
is  ennobling.  Some  men,  it  makes,  and  more,  it  ruins. 

There  is  some  prospect  that  I  may  command  the  regiment  in 
the   coming   battles.     General   Wadsworth   talks   of  calling   on 
Colonel  Bragg  to  assist  him  on  his  staff.     He  has  great  confidence 
in  Bragg's  coolness,  courage,  and  experience  in  battle." 
(Letter.)  CAMP  NEAR  BELLE  PLAINE,  APRIL  4th,  1863. 

"The  indications  here  of  immediate  movement  are  not  so 
strong  as  they  were  a  few  days  ago.  We  can  only  tell  by  the 
straws  which  way  the  wind  is  blowing.  Leaves  of  absence  and 
furloughs  are  again  being  granted  to  a  limited  extent,  and  officers' 
wives  are  again  permitted  in  camp,  from  which  they  had  been 
banished. 

General  Cutler  is  doing  finely  with  his  new  command.  Our 
regiment  turns  out  four  hundred  men  in  ranks  for  duty,  and  they 
look  fat,  healthy,  and  contented.  Everything  with  us  is 
amicable  and  friendly.  No  back-biting  nor  underplotting.  Our 
two-year  old  regiment  has  never  yet  had  an  officer  court 
martialed." 

A  correspondent  in  the  army  at  this  time  wrote  the  following 
pleasant  and  very  correct  description  of  General  Lysander  Cutler  : 

"Commanding  the  second  brigade  of  this  division  is  General 
Lysander  Cutler,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  formerly  Colonel  of 
the  sixth  Wisconsin  volunteers,  since  promoted  for  skill  and 
bravery  in  the  field.  Last  evening,  in  company  with  my  friend, 
Colonel  Livingston,  I  rode  over  to  take  tea  with  the  General.  He 
is  an  elderly  gentleman,  spare  of  frame,  with  silvery  hair,  a  beard 
nearly  white,  and  beneath  heavy  eyebrows  of  an  iron-gray  color, 
are  keen,  penetrating  dark  eyes.  His  step  is  somewhat  uneven, 
owing  to  a  severe  wound  received  at  Gainesville.  From  behind  a 
somewhat  grave  and  severe  aspect,  shines  out  a  kindly,  even 
genial  manner  that  wins  you  at  once." 

The  old  blue  color  of  the  State  of  Wisconsin  was  now  re 
turned  to  the  Governor  to  be  exchanged  for  a  new  flag  which  had 


131 

been  provided.  That  Colonel  Bragg  was  as  skillful  with  the  pen 
as  with  the  sword,  may  be  evidenced  by  his  beautiful  and  appro 
priate  letter  which  accompanied  our  old  flag : 

HEADQUARTERS  SIXTH  REGIMENT  WISCONSIN  VOLUNTEERS,  ) 
NEAR  BELLE  PLAINS,  VIRGINIA,  APRIL  4th,  1863.     j 
His  Excellency  the  Governor  of  Wisconsin  : 

SIR — On  behalf  of  the  regiment  I  have  the  honor  to  command, 
I  return  to  the  State  of  Wisconsin  the  regimental  color  presented 
this  regiment  in  the  summer  of  1861. 

We  part  with  it  reluctantly,  but  its  condition  renders  it  un 
serviceable  for  field  service.  When  we  received  it,  its  folds,  like 
our  ranks,  were  ample  and  full ;  still  emblematical  of  our  condi 
tion,  we  return  it,  tattered  and  torn  in  the  shock  of  battle.  Many 
who  have  defended  it,  "sleep  the  sleep  that  knows  no  waking ;" 
they  have  met  a  soldier's  death ;  may  they  live  in  their  country's 
memory. 

The  regiment,  boasting  not  of  deeds  done,  or  to  be  done,  sends 
this  voiceless  witness  to  be  deposited  in  the  archives  of  our  State. 

History  will  tell  how  Wisconsin  honor  has  been  vindicated  by 
her  soldiery,  and  what  lessons  in  Northern  courage  they  have 
given  Southern  chivalry. 

If  the  past  gives  any  earnest  of  the  future,  the  "Iron  Brigade" 
will  not  be  forgotten  when  Wisconsin  makes  up  her  jewels. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

EDWARD  S.  BRAGG, 

Colonel  commanding  sixth  regiment  Wisconsin  Volunteers. 
(Letter.)  CAMP  NEAR  BELLE  PLAINE,  APRIL  8th,  1863. 

*"Our  corps  is  to  be  reviewed  to-morrow  by  the  President  and 
his  wife.  I  was  invited  by  General  Meredith  011  the,  day  of  the 
cavalry  review  to  go  with  him  to  call  on  the  President  and  Mrs. 

*Present  at  this  review,  by  President  Lincoln,  was  a  correspondent  of  the 
Cincinnati  Gazette,  who  wrote  to  his  paper  as  follows  : 

''When  the  fourth  brigade  of  the  first  division  of  the  corps,  the  'Iron 
Brigade'  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  marched  up,  there  was  a  universal  mani 
festation  of  admiration  and  applause. 

The  proud,  elastic,  but  firm  military  tread,  the  exact  and  uniform  move 
ment,  as  if  every  company  and  every  regiment  were  moved  by  one 
impulse  and  inspirited  by  one  soul,  demonstrated  that  these  men  had  the 
spirit  of  the  true  soldier.  'This,'  remarked  General  Hooker  to  the  Presi 
dent,  'is  the  famous  fourth  brigade.'  'Yes,'  rejoined  the  President,  'it  is 


132 

Lincoln,  but  I  did  not  go.  Colonel  Bragg  and  Dr.  Hall  went, 
and  their  caustic  comments  are  highly  amusing.  General  Joseph 
Hooker  is  actually  the  finest  looking  man  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac. 

In  our  Spring  election,  the  regiment  gave  one  hundred  and 
eighty-four  Republican  majority  and  the  three  Wisconsin  regi 
ments  something  over  six  hundred." 

The  Apollo  like  presence  of  General  Hooker,  his  self-confident, 
even  vain  glorious  manner,  his  haughty  criticism  of  others  and 
his  sublime  courage  at  the  battle  front  have  combined  to  make 
impressions  upon  the  public  judgment  that  obscure  his  most  valu 
able  traits  of  character  and  his  best  qualities  as  a  commander. 
Poetry  has  placed  his  glory  above  the  clouds  of  Lookout  Moun 
tain.  But  history  is  more  likely  to  dwell  upon  the  fact  that  he 
received  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  rent  by  internal  jealousies, 
discontented,  discouraged  and  humiliated  under  the  stigma  of 
defeat.  With  indefatigable  zeal  he  addressed  himself  to  the  task 
of  its  re-organization  and,  if  I  may  so  expresss  it,  re-inspiration. 
It  was  for  Hooker  to  arouse  the  drooping  spirits  of  the  grand 
army  and  he  accomplished  the  task.  He  had  the  true  Napoleonic 
idea  of  the  power  of  an  "Esprit  de  Corps."  It  was  he  who  first 
devised  the  beautiful,  and  to  the  soldiers  inspiring  system  of 
corps  badges.  Forever  the  trefoil  of  the  second  corps,  the 
crosses  of  the  fifth  and  sixth  corps,  the  arrow,  the  cartridge  box 
with  forty  rounds,  and  the  other  corps  badges  of  the  war,  will  be 
the  almost  worshipped  symbols  of  a  glorious  service. 


(Letter  —  To  a  new  correspondent.)   CAMP  NEAR  BEU.E  PLAINE,  ) 

APRIL  i3th,  1863.      j 

"We  are  busy  getting  ready  for  the  grand  movement,  which 
must  begin  soon.     We  may  start  to-morrow  or  next  day.     Let 

commanded  by  the  only  Quaker  General  I  have  in  the  army.'  (General 
Meredith  being  by  birth  and  early  education,  a  Quaker.") 
Captain  Jatnes  Stewart  of  battery  "B,"  has  written  of  this  review  : 
"After  I  had  passed  in  review,  riding  'Tartar,'  I  was  sent  for,  to  allow  the 
President  to  look  at  the  horse's  wound.  As  soon  as  Mr.  Lincoln  sawT  it,  he 
said  to  the  general  officers  about  him:  'This  reminds  me  of  a  tale  !'  which 
he  proceeded  to  relate  to  their  great  amusement.  But  his  little  son,  'Tad,' 
mounted  on  a  pony,  followed  me  and  insisted  on  trading  horses.  I  told 
him  I  could  not  do"  that,  but  he  persisted  in  telling  me  that  his  papa  was 
the  President,  and  Would  give  me  any  horse  I  wanted  in  trade  for  Tartar.' 
I  had  a  hard  time  in  getting  away  from  the  little  fellow." 


133 

me  tell  you  how  we  get  ready  for  a  campaign.  First  ten  days 
.rations  must  be  provided  for  our  regimental  headquarters  mess. 
So  the  darkies  are  posted  off  to  the  commissary's  to  buy  two 
hams,  twenty-five  pounds  of  hard  tack,  one  dollar's  worth  of 
coffee,  and  fifty  cents'  worth  of  tea;  to  the  sutlers  for  a  can  of 
prepared  milk  and  five  pounds  of  soda  crackers,  and  rations  are 
provided,  except,  that  we  load  down  the  darkies  when  we  start,  with 
soft  bread.  This  truck  is  loaded  upon  our  'transportation,'  which 
is  a  mule  with  an  irresistible  tendency  to  lie  down  when  he  gets 
tired  of  marching.  Next  we  procure  a  wedge  tent  and  four  or 
five  blankets,  then  an  oil  cloth  and  an  extra  pair  of  boots  for 
each,  then  two  skillfully  packed  bundles  of  woolen  shirts,  and 
finally  a  bag  of  corn.  All  of  this,  when  we  march,  adorns  the 
back  of  our  transportation  mule.  The  valises  are  neatly  packed 
up  to  be  left  in  the  wagon.  Papers  are  arranged,  wills  made, 
pistols  cleaned,  tourniquets*  carefully  stored  away  in  a  safe 
pocket,  debts  paid  up,  and  the  mess  is  ready  to  march.  If  in 
addition  to  this,  you  have  to  get  the  regiment  ready,  your  work 
is  not  done.  First  your  ten  days  rations  for  the  men  must  be 
looked  after.  (General  Hooker's  marching  orders  required  ten 
days  rations  to  be  carried  on  the  persons  of  the  men.)  Next, 
your  supply  of  ammunition,  and  the  condition  of  the  arms,  next  is 
your  supply  of  food  and  clothing,  and  finally,  your  weak  squad 
must  be  weeded  out  and  sent  off.  Your  officers  must  be  remind 
ed  of  their  duties,  and  the  existing  orders  regulating  a  march 
refreshed  in  their  minds.  Your  knapsacks  must  be  thoroughly 
inspected  and  all  superfluous  articles,  such  as  bibles  and  playing 
cards,  must  be  thrown  away. 

Our  regiment  goes  out  in  fine  condition  this  spring,  as  does 
the  whole  army.  We  are  not  so  strong  in  bayonets,  but  our  four 
hundred  men  know  how  to  fight.  Orders  have  been  issued  from 
the  War  Department  for  the  consolidation  of  regiments.  We  are 
yet  too  large  to  come  within  the  order.  But,  by  its  terms,  the 
Colonel  would  be  mustered  out  and  I  would  be  left  in  command. 
To  command  the  old  sixth  with  her  glorious  record,  wr.ould  fully 
satisfy  the  full  measure  of  my  own  military  ambition. 

*An  instrument  to  stop  the  flow  of  blood. 


136 

rebels  were  on  higher  ground  and  in  rifle  pits  and  their  fire  was 
more  destructive  to  us  than  ours  could  be  to  them.  The  twenty- 
fourth  Michigan  and  fourteenth  Brooklyn  were  also  sent  to  the 
river  bank.  But  the  three  regiments  were  soon  moved  back  into 
a  ravine.  It  now  seemed  that  the  Rappahannock  must  be  red 
dened  with  our  blood  if  the  crossing  was  to  be  forced.  The  river 
was  about  two  hundred  yards  wide  and  very  deep  and  the  banks 
were  high  and  steep.  Pontoon  boats  enough  to  carry  about  four 
hundred  men  were  lying  in  the  water  at  a  landing  place  called 
Fitz  Hugh's  crossing  or  Pollock's  Mill,  with  one  end  caught  upon 
the  shore  and  oars  to  row  the  boats  were  lying  in  the  bottom  of 
them.  Of  course,  they  were  directly  under  the  enemy's  fire. 
About  nine  o'clock,  the  sixth  Wisconsin  and  twenty-fourth 
Michigan  regiments  were  ordered  to  cross  the  river  in  these  boats 
and  attack  the  rifle  pits.  I  confess  that  a  shrinking  from  the 
proffered  glory  came  over  us.  To  be  shot  like  sheep  in  a  huddle 
and  drowned  in  the  Rappahannock  appeared  to  be  the  certain 
fate  of  all  if  we  failed  and  of  some  if  we  succeeded.  The 
regiment  was  ordered  into  line  at  once  to  prepare  for  the  rush. 
Knapsacks  were  unslung  and  piled  upon  the  ground.  We  se 
lected  men  from  each  company  who  were  to  row  the  boats  and 
instructed  them  in  their  duty.  Colonel  Bragg  briefly  and  plainly 
stated  to  the  regiment  what  was  expected  of  them  and  the  plan 
for  the  execution  of  the  movement.  The  plan  was  simple  and 
fully  comprehended  by  the  men.  A  line  of  troops  was  to  be 
moved  forward  to  the  edge  of  the  river  bank  who  would  fire  over 
our  heads  at  the  enemy  while  we  crossed  the  river  in  the  boats. 
Batteries  of  artillery  were  planted  on  the  hills  back  of  the  plain, 
which  would  also  fire  upon  the  enemy.*  These  dispositions  were 
soon  made  and  we  moved  out  upon  the  plain.  We  had  to  pass 
over  an  open  field  and  down  a  sloping  bank  to  reach  the  boats, 

•^Official  Reports  of  Fitz  Hugh's  Crossing  may  be  found  in  Vol.  XXV, 
Part  I,  War  Records  : 

Major  General  JohD  F.  Reynolds,  Pages 253  and  256. 

Brigadier  General  J.  S.  Wadsworth,  Page 262. 

Colonel  E.  S.  Bragg,  Page 271. 

Colonel  W.  W.  Robinson,  Page 273. 

Brigadier  General  Solomon  Meredith 267. 

Losses  in  the  sixth  Wisconsin  regiment  at  Fitz  Hugh's  Crossing  were  3 
killed,  13  wounded  ;  90  prisoners  were  captured. 


137 

and  during  this  time,  we  received  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  When 
our  battle  line  appeared,  the  rebels  turned  their  fire  upon  us. 
'Now  for  it,  boys.  By  the  right  of  companies  to  the  front.  Run, 
march,'  came  in  sharp,  jerky  emphasis  from  Colonel  Bragg.  The 
evolution  was  performed  like  clock-work,  and  the  companies 
moved  for  the  boats  at  the  top  of  their  speed. 

The  men  plunged  into  the  boats  and  threw  themselves  upon 
the  bottom  of  them  as  they  had  been  instructed.  Here  was  our 
only  mistake ;  the  men  were  on  the  oars.  "Whiz"  came  the 
bullets.  To  halt  or  flinch  in  the  deadly  storm  was  disgrace  if  not 
death.  Nervous  and  quick  orders  were  given  something  like 
this  :  "Heave  off  your  boats!  Up  with  the  oars!"  Here  fifteen 
of  our  men  were  shot.  Once  clear  of  the  shore,  the  oars-men 
worked  like  heroes  and  our  regiments  along  the  river  bank  and 
the  batteries  opened  fire  upon  the  rebels.  When  we  got  across 
the  river,  we  jumped  into  the  mud  and  water,  waist  deep,  waded 
ashore,  crawled  and  scrambled  up  the  bank,  laying  hold  of  the 
bushes.  Very  few  shots  were  fired  before  the  rebels  were  throw 
ing  down  their  arms  or  running  over  the  plain.  Our  men  were 
greatly  excited,  but  we  gathered  them  together  and  moved  in 
line  of  battle  to  a  brick  house." 
(Journal.)  SATURDAY,  MAY  2nd,  1863. 

"The  enemy  shelled  us  for  two  hours  this  morning.  Nobody 
hurt  in  our  regiment.  The  division  was  safely  withdrawn  from 
the  south  side  of  the  river.  The  rebels  did  not  interfere  with 
the  movement.  We  marched  rapidly  up  the  river.  The  sun 
was  intensely  hot.  We  camped  in  the  woods  at  ten  P.  M." 

About  five  P.  M.  of  this  memorable  day,  General  Stonewall 
Jackson  swept  down  upon  and  stampeded  the  eleventh  corps  of 
our  army.  Dr.  A.  W.  Preston  of  our  regiment  was  on  hospital 
duty  in  that  part  of  the  field.  At  some  time  during  the  panic, 
he  says,  he  gave  the  letter  I  had  entrusted  to  him  to  a  mail 
carrier.  Two  days  afterward,  he  discovered  his  mistake,  and 
greatly  chagrined,  having  forgotten  if  he  ever  knew,  to  whom  the 
letter  was  addressed,  he  wrote  to  my  sister,  Miss  Lucy  Dawes, 
assuring  her  that  I  was  alive  and  well. 
(Journal.)  SUNDAY,  MAY  3rd,  1863. 

"Marched  to  the  battle  field  of  Chancellorsville  at  two  o'clock  in 


138 

the  morning.  Crossed  the  river  at  Banks  Ford  and  took  position 
on  the  battle  field  in  the  second  line.  The  musketry  fire  in  the 
woods  near  our  left,  was  for  an  hour  to-day,  as  heavy  and  inces 
sant  as  I  ever  heard.  Impossible  to  know  how  things  are  going. 
It  seems  certain  that  the  battle  is  indecisive.  Many  rumors  are 
flying  around,  the  gravest  one  that  Hooker  is  wounded  and 
Couch  in  command  of  the  army.  Our  corps  is  in  the  second 
line,  supporting  the  fifth  corps,  which  is  in  rifle  pits.  Not  a  sin 
gle  shot  or  shell  has  come  dangerously  near  us  to-day." 
(Journal.)  MONDAY,  MAY  4th,  1863. 

"Hot  firing  on  the  picket  line  in  the  night.  An  attack  by  the 
enemy  expected,  and  men  forbidden  to  take  off  their  blankets." 

This  seems  to  have  been  a  cruel  and  unnecessary  order.  The 
blankets  were  in  a  roll  over  the  shoulder  and  it  is  difficult  to 
imagine  what  harm  could  come  from  the  use  of  them.  Colonel 
Bragg  and  I  did  not  use  our  own  blankets  because  of  this  order, 
feeling  that  we  ought  to  share  the  hardships  with  the  men.  No 
fires  were  allowed.  Colonel  Bragg  and  I  lay  down  together  on 
the  same  oil  cloth.  I  remember  distinctly  that  Bragg  wore  his 
spurs,  and  that  he  kicked  in  his  sleep. 

(Journal.)  "Ordered  under  arms  at  ten  o'clock  this  forenoon. 
Twenty-fourth  Michigan  has  just  moved  to  the  right,  and  our 
regiment  is  to  support  them  in  case  of  a  fight.  At  halt  past  eleven 
nothing  has  come  of  it.  Just  got  permission  to  get  dinner. 
Boys  are  all  cooking  coffee.  Drizzling  rain  at  intervals  this 
afternoon.  At  five  P.  M.  there  was  a  very  sharp  fight  at  the 
same  place  on  our  left.  At  this  writing,  six  P.  M.,  there  is  a 
heavy  cannonading  in  the  direction  of  Fredericksburgh.  (Gener 
al  Sedgwick's  battle  at  Salem  Church.)  Ten  P.  M.,  heavy  volleys 
of  musketry  on  our  left  and  quite  a  sharp  ftisilade  on  our  right. 
Constant  alarms  until  midnight.  The  last  report  is  that  the 
rebels  were  the  attacking  party  last  evening  at  five  o'clock  and 
that  they  were  driven  back  with  a  loss  of  six  hundred  men. 
Slept  a  troubled,  dreamy  sleep." 
(Journal.)  TUESDAY,  MAY  5th,  1863. 

"Foggy  this  morning.  At  this  writing,  eight  A.  M.,  scattering 
musketry  fire,  a  mile  away  to  our  left.  This  developed  into  a 
heavy  fight  of  about  twenty  minutes  duration.  The  sun  will  be 


139 

very  hot  to-day.  Heavy  whisky  rations  being  dealt  out  to  the 
men.  Reports  say,  the  rebels  charging  our  works  come  out  to  a 
certain  point  unmolested,  and  then  set  up  a  fiendish  yell  and  rush 
forward  upon  our  rifle  pits,  as  yet,  only  to  be  driven  back  by  the 
musketry  of  our  men,  and  the  canister  of  the  batteries.  The 
slaughter  must  be  terrible.  Rumor  says  this  morning,  that 
General  Sedgwick  has  been  driven  from  the  heights  of  Freder- 
icksburgh.  There  was  heavy  fighting  somewhere  down  there  all 
night.  Whisky  enough  was  sent  here  to  make  the  whole 
regiment  dead  drunk. 

Eleven  o'clock  A.  M. — Orders  are:  'Be  ready  to  move  at  once 
to  the  right.'  It  is  said  that  we  are  to  lead  in  an  attack.  It  is 
always  so.  Guess  our  time  has  come.  False  alarm.  Some  mis 
take  by  one  of  the  nine-months  Colonels  on  the  right.  I^ie  down 
again  and  try  to  kill  time.  Very  hot.  Orders  to  be  under  arms 
at  sunset.  Very  heavy  thunder  storm  at  five  P.  M.  Miserable 
situation, — Colonel  Bragg  and  I  and  *Huntington,  all  crouched 
under  one  oil  cloth  in  the  driving  rain.  At  dark,  rumor  has 
come  of  a  general  retreat.  Mules  are  packed  and  sent  to  the 
rear.  The  rain  continues  pouring  down,  and  our  condition  that 
of  unmitigated  discomfort.  Picket  firing  the  entire  night." 
(Journal.)  WEDNESDAY,  MAY  6th,  1863. 

"About  three  o'clock  this  morning  the  infantry  began  to  move 
for  the  rear.  Our  brigadef  moved  the  last  of  our  corps  at  3:30 
A.  M.  Mud  very  deep  and  a  drizzling  rain.  At  five  A.  M.,  we 
reached  the  pontoon  bridge  at  United  States  Ford.  Forty 
thousand  men  are  not  yet  over.  Our  division  formed  in  line  of 
battle  to  protect  the  passage  of  the  troops.  Crossed  at  eight  A. 
M.,  unmolested.  Soaking  rain  and  chilly.  One  hundred  thou 
sand  miserable  and  discouraged  men  are  wading  through  this 
terrible  mud  and  rain.  We  cannot  understand  it  in  any  other 
way  than  as  a  great  disaster.  Feel  sick  and  dispirited  myself. 
We  trudged  along  slowly  through  mud  and  rain  until  two  P.  M. 
Camped  in  a  pine  jungle.  Pitched  wedge  tent.  Found  our 
blankets  wet  and  I  am  sick." 

*Lieutenant  Howard  J.  Huntington  was  Acting  Adjutant. 
tThe  "Iron  Brigade"  was  often  selected  as  the  rear  guard,  upon  the  re 
treats  of  our  army. 


140 

(Journal.)  THURSDAY,  MAY  yth,  1863. 

"Marched  to-day.     Camped  near  White  Oak  Church.     Sick  all 
day.     Threatened  with  fever." 
(Journal.)  FRIDAY,  MAY  8th,  1863. 

"In  camp  to-day.     Too  sick  to  write  a  journal." 

Here  it  will  be  necessary,  for  a  proper  appreciation  of  our  real 
experience  in  the  war,  to  follow  the  letters  mailed  by  Dr.  Preston. 
They  went  directly  to  their  destination. 

Miss  Mary  B.  Gates,  Marietta,  Ohio,  was  the  address  upon 
them.  This  lady  had  completed  her  education  at  Ipswich  Semi 
nary,  in  Massachusetts,  and  I  had  met  her  at  her  home  in 
Marietta.  Differences  of  opinion  upon  the  merits  of  General 
McClellan  and  indeed  upon  all  other  subjects  had  been  happily 
reconciled.  She  was  twenty  years  of  age,  and  of  her  charming 
qualities  of  mind  and  person  it  is  not  for  my  partial  pen  to  write. 
She  had  received  two  letters  from  myself  since  the  campaign  had 
opened  and  she  was  anxious  for  further  information  from  the 
front.  On  the  early  morning  of  May  sixth,  she  hastened  to  the 
Post  Office.  She  found  a  letter.  No  suspicion  of  harm  to  me 
was  aroused,  however,  as  the  letter  was  plainly  directed  in  my 
own  hand.  The  first  sentences  she  read  can  be  given  here : 

"We  are  advancing  upon  the  enemy.  I  doubt  not  that  we 
must  have  a  bloody  battle.  I  leave  this  package  where  I  have 
perfect  confidence  it  will  be  sent  to  you  in  case  I  am  killed,  and 
only  in  that  event." 

The  scenes  that  ensued  are  not  the  business  of  the  public,  and 
will  not  be  described.  My  mother,  who  with  her  two  sons  had 
been  much  under  fire,  said  she  would  "take  Rufus'  word  for  any 
thing  but  the  fact  that  he  was  killed."  This  was  consoling,  but 
still  not  until  four  days  afterward  was  there  a  relief  from  painful 
apprehension,  when  my  sister  received  the  following  epistle  from 
the  army: 

HEADQUARTERS  FOURTH  BRIGADE, 

FIRST  DIVISION,  FIRST  ARMY  CORPS, 

MAY  4th,  1863. 
Miss  LUCY  DAWES,  MARIETTA,  OHIO. 

My  dear  Madam: — Your  brother,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Dawes 
of  the  sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  is  alive  and  well. 

Why  I  send  you  this  letter  is,  the  Colonel  left  with  me  a  letter 


141 

addressed  to  you,  to  be  sent  you  in  case  he  should  fall  in  the  then 
coming  engagement, — and  although  he  came  out  safe,  and  is  now 
in  good  health,  yet  I  have  either  lost  the  letter  with  some  other 
papers  or  sent  it  to  you  by  accident  when  mailing  other  letters 
for  the  North.  In  great  haste.  I  am  very  respectfully  your 
obedient  servant, 

A.  W.  PRESTON,  Surgeon-in-Chief,  Fourth  Brigade. 


VII. 

Camp  Near  White  Oalf  Church— Regimental  Court—Expedition 
Down  the  Northern  Neclf  -Captain  Charley  Ford— A  War-Horse 
Prefers  Death,^to  Duty  as  a  Paclf  Mule — In  Command  of  a  Post 
—"The  Patrol  has  Caught  the  Colonel"— General  Lee  .Assumes 
an  Offensive  Attitude— Major  Nauser—  Picket  Duty  on  the  Rap- 
pahannoclf— Colonel  Bragg  Siclf— Fooled  by  the  Balloon— Lying 

.  in  Wait—Bd  Brooks  Pours  Water  in  Sam's  ear— Flow  to  Execute 
a  Deserter — Camp  Routine — "We  March  Northward — "Under  a 
Scorching  Sun,  and  Through  Suffocating  Clouds  of  Dust"— At 
Cent reville— Bivouac  on  Broad  Run— At  South  Mountain— Gen 
eral  Meade's  Appointment  a  Surprise — On  to  Gettysburg — An 
Unfinished  Letter— The  Battle  as  Reported  to  M.  B.  G.—How  the 
new  Recruit  Stands  Fire. 

(Better  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  WHITE  OAK  CHURCH,  ) 

MAY  1 8th,  1863.      j 

"The  two  years  and  nine  months  troops  are  by  reason  of  the 
expiration  of  their  enlistment,  leaving  us  every  day.  Our  army 
is  being  materially  weakened,  and  so  far  as  I  know,  is  getting 
small  reinforcement.  We  have  had  several  alarms  of  an  advance 
by  the  enemy,  but  I  apprehend  nothing  of  the  kind.  He  is  too 
discreet.  I  shall  not  be  surprised  if  matters  on  the  Rappahan- 
nock  remain  for  a  time  lin  statu  quo? 

The  reason  General  Hooker  recrossed  the  river  was  because 
he  was  outgeneraled  and  defeated, — a  humiliating  confession,  I 
own,  but  I  believe  true. 

I  have  taken  up  my  work  again.  I  have  tried  twenty-three 
cases  and  made  a  finding  and  record  in  each  this  forenoon.  Is 
not  that  summary  justice?  This  is  business  which  accumulated 
while  I  was  sick.  I  fined  one  incorrigible  little  «scamp  for 
paddling  across  the  Rappahannock  on  a  slab  and  trading  cofiee 
to  the  rebel  pickets  for  whisky,  with  which  he  made  half  of  our 
men  on  picket  drunk. 

The  weather  is  fine  and  we  are  beautifully  located  in  a  grove 
near  the  White  Oak  Church.  The  church  is  mythical,  but  it  is  a 
pleasant  name  to  mark  a  pleasant  locality.  Drilling,  parading, 
reviewing  and  court  martialing  go  on  again  as  usual  before  the 
battle." 


143 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  WHITE  OAK  CHURCH,  ) 

MAY  2ist,  1863.      j 

"We  are  under  orders  to  march  at  daylight  with  three  days' 
rations  and  without  knapsacks.  It  is  now  three  o'clock  A.  M. 
*Colonel  Henry  A.  Morrow,  of  the  twenty-fourth  Michigan,  com 
mands  the  expedition.  The  equipment  of  the  troops  indicates  a 
reconnoitering  affair  of  some  kind." 

This  expedition  was  composed  of  one  thousand  two  hundred 
men,  (igth  Indiana,  2nd  and  6th  Wisconsin)  and  it  was  ordered 
to  march  down  the  Northern  Neck  to  the  relief  of  our  cavalry, 
and  for  a  general  reconnoisance.  The  weather  was  hot,  and  as  I 
had  not  fully  recovered  from  my  sickness,  I  was  scarcely  able  to 
endure  the  march.  Colonel  Morrow  stationed  me  in  command  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  men  at  a  cross  roads  near  King  George  Court 
House,  while  the  main  body  marched  on  down  the  Neck.  The 
object  in  stationing  this  force  wras  to  guard  the  line  of  retreat. 
I  constructed  an  earth  work  at  the  cross  roads  and  remained  in 
position  until  the  return  of  the  troops,  five  days  afterward. 

My  situation  in  the  enemy's  country  made  it  necessary  to  keep 
my  small  force  constantly  in  hand.  The  chicken-hungry  boys 
were  in  a  land  replete  with  pigs  and  poultry.  I  established  a 
guard  around  my  post,  and  still  the  men  slipped  out.  Captain 
Hart,  of  the  nineteenth  Indiana,  had  borrowed  my  horse  and 
ridden  off,  probably  to  buy  a  chicken.  Finally,  exasperated  at 
the  depletion  of  my  force,  I  sent  out  a  patrol  with  strict  orders 
to  arrest  every  man  or  officer  found.  Soon  I  heard  a  shout:  "The 
patrol  has  caught  the  Colonel!"  And,  there  was  my  well  known 
old  mare  coming  in,  with  Captain  Hart  mounted  on  her,  under 
the  bayonets  of  the  patrol-guard.  Of  course,  the  Captain  had  a 
pass,  but  my  brash  order  to  the  patrol  was  considered  to  have 
countermanded  it. 

Captain  Charles  H.  Ford,  recently  promoted  to  the  command 
of  company  "H,"  is  highly  commended  by  Colonel  Morrow,  for 
quickly  putting  up  a  bridge  on  this  expedition.  Charley  Ford 
was  over  six  feet  tall,  and  his  soldierly  bearing  was  very  fine.  He 
was  acting  aide  on  the  staff  of  General  Wadsworth.  General 

*See  Volume  XXV,  Part  I,  Page  1112,  War  Records,  for  complete  and 
interesting  report  of  Colonel  Henry  A.  Morrow. 


144 

Wads  worth  would  have  none  but  efficient  men  around  him.  It 
is  patent  that  he  considered  the  sixth  Wisconsin  a  good  place  to 
find  such  men.  Two  of  our  officers  (Captain  Ford  and  L,ieu- 
tenant  C.  E.  Rogers)  were  on  his  staff. 

A  serious  loss  befell  our  regimental  headquarters  mess  on  this 
expedition.  Colonel  Bragg's  fiery  and  untamed  white  war-horse 
which  he  rode  at  Gainesville,  had  become  afflicted  with  a  hoof 
disease  which  was  prevalent  in  the  army.  The  horse  had  been 
reduced  to  the  menial  service  of  a  pack  mule.  On  his  back  was 
our  complete  and  elaborate  equipment  of  cooking  utensils,  table 
ware  and  provisions.  When  crossing  a  bridge,  whether  from 
fright,  or  a  desire  to  commit  suicide  by  drowning,  or  to  get  rid  of 
the  degrading  burdens  on  his  back,  the  horse  deliberately  jumped 
into  the  deep  water  beneath  and  sank  at  once  below  the  surface. 
After  an  astonishingly  long  interval  he  reappeared,  blowing  water 
like  a  whale,  but  every  vestige  of  our  property  was  at  the  bottom 
of  the  stream. 

(L,etter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  WHITE  OAK  CHURCH,  ) 

MAY  27th,  1863.      j 

"Our  corps  received  marching  orders  to-day,  but  we  are  not  off 
yet,  and  as  it  is  evening,  I  presume  we  shall  not  go.  It  is  prob 
able  that  the  occasion  of  these  orders  was  apprehension  of  an 
attack  by  the  enemy.  Our  army  is  being  daily  weakened  by 
troops  going  home. 

Under  such  circumstances,  I  do  not  look  for  offensive  opera 
tions  by  this  army  unless  the  enemy  withdraws  heavily  to  the 
assistance  of  Vicksburg.  Indeed,  an  attack  by  the  enemy  upon 
this  army  is  not  wholly  improbable.  Our  news  from  Vicksburg 
is  cheering  to-night,  but  our  people  are  so  sanguine  and  the 
habit  of  counting  chickens  before  they  are  hatched  is  so  firmly 
established,  that  we  can  not  tell  how  much  of  it  to  believe.  The 
paymaster  has  come  to-day,  making  our  boys  happy.  If  we  are 
going  to  march,  under  our  orders,  I  do  not  want  my  pay.  I^ast 
December,  during  the  battle  of  Fredericksburgh,  I  had  to  leave 
a  large  sum  of  money  with  one  of  our  surgeons. 

Our  Major,  John  F.  Hauser,  is  a  character.  He  is  a  German, 
a  soldier  by  profession,  forty-five  years  of  age  and  with  a  com 
manding  figure.  He  has  a  voice  like  a  trumpet.  Over  twenty 


145 

years  ago  he  was  at  Thun,  in  Switzerland,  at  a  military  school. 
Louis  Napoleon  was  there,  and  the  Major  says  he  knew  him  well. 
To  use  the  Major's  own  language  :  'I  spree  mit  him  many  time.' 
He  says  he  served  as  lieutenant  on  the  staff  of  General  Garibaldi. 
He  seems  to  have  entertained  a  high  respect,  almost  reverence 
for  Garibaldi." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  WHITE  OAK  CHURCH,  ) 

MAY  3oth,  1863.      j 

"I  am  going  this  morning  for  two  days  duty  as  field  officer  of 
the  day,  in  command  of  our  division  picket.  All  here  now  think 
that  General  Lee  is  going  to  attack  this  army.  If  the  rebels  are 
to  lose  Vicksburg,  I  do  not  see  why  it  is  not  possible  that  he 
should  make  a  desperate  push  here  to  neutralize  the  great  disaster 
west.  Well,  this  most  unfortunate  Army  of  the  Potomac  is  yet  a 
power,  and  when  thrown  upon  its  defense  can  not  be  defeated  by 
the  whole  force  of  the  rebellion.  I  am  not  sure  that  an  offensive 
campaign  by  the  enemy,  is  not  to  be  hoped  for  by  the  country. 
Perhaps  the  'Johnnies'  will  come  to  my  picket  line.  I  have  eight 
hundred  men,  and  can  begin  a  pretty  good  battle.  I  will  try  to 
bother  them  some  before  they  get  their  pontoons  down. 

We  had  a  review  of  the  first  army  corps  yesterday.  It  is 
running  down  in  numbers.  We  have  great  rumors  about  our 
destiny  this  summer.  Some  say  we  are  going  to  Baltimore  to 
relieve  the  eighth  army  corps,  so  long  on  duty  in  that  vicinity. 
That  would  be  grand.  But  my  opinion  is,  that  the  veterans  of 
the  old  first  army  corps,  renowned  on  so  many  bloody  fields  for 
unflinching  valor,  like  the  old  guard  of  Napoleon,  will  be  con 
sidered  as  'too  good  lookers  on'  to  be  spared  from  the  battle  front." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  MAY  3ist,  1863. 

"I  have  been  on  picket  for  two  days  and  for  a  wonder  had  good 
weather  throughout  my  tour.  This  is  a  laborious  duty.  An 
officer  is  held  oppressively  responsible  for  the  vigilance  and  good 
conduct  of  his  pickets.  He  is  required  to  visit  his  line  four 
times  a  day  and  once  at  night  to  inspect  it.  This  involves  thirty- 
two  miles  ride.  I  found  one  poor  fellow  asleep  on  duty.  What 
do  you  think  his  punishment  would  be  if  brought  to  trial  by  his 
Colonel? — 'Shot  to  death  with  musketry.'  I  voted  that  sentence 
four  times  last  winter  when  serving  on  general  court  martial,  but 


146 

thanks  to  our  kind-hearted  'Father  Abraham,'  none  were  executed, 
for  which  I  feel  very  thankful. 

Our  picket  line  runs  along  the  edge  of  the  bank  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock  river.  The  rebels  on  the  opposite  bank  are  about  two 
hundred  yards  away.  There  is  no  hostility  and  the  men  sit 
dozing  and  staring  at  each  other,  and  when  there  are  no  officers 
about,  they  exchange  papers  and  communicate  with  each  other  in 
as  friendly  a  manner  as  if  there  was  no  cause  for  enmity.  Riding 
along  this  bank  with  the  red  sash  over  my  shoulder,  the  insignia 
of  the  officer  of  the  day,  the  rebel  pickets  would  sometimes  aim 
their  guns  at  me  just  to  see  how  nicely  they  could  pop  me  over. 
Not  enjoying  this  harmless  sport,  it  generally  occurred  to  me, 
when  I  saw  a  fellow  aiming  at  me,  that  I  had  urgent  business  some 
where  else,  and  I  would  immediately  gallop  away  to  attend  to  it. 

Colonel  Bragg  is  very  sick.  The  Major's  ugly  little  horse 
kicked  him  a  few  days  ago  on  the  foot,  which  is  also  now  a 
serious  affair.  He  is  trying  to  stay  here  in  his  tent,  but  he  will 
probably  be  obliged  to  go  to  the  hospital. 

Our  brigade  is  now  designated  as  the  first  brigade,  first 
division,  first  army  corps ;  and  the  sixth  Wisconsin  is  the  first 
battalion.  This  makes  us  by  designation,  the  first  regiment  in 
the  volunteer  army  of  the  United  States.  As  a  brigade,  we  are 
one  of  the  oldest  in  the  army,  and  deserve  the  title.  There  is 
great  dearth  of  news.  All  is  very  quiet  on  the  Rappahannock. 
I  shall  be  in  command  of  the  regiment  until  the  Colonel  gets 
well,  which  may  not  be  very  soon." 

(L,etter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  WHITE  OAK  CHURCH,  ) 

JUNE  4th,  1863.      j 

"The  whole  corps  has  orders  to  march  at  daylight.  This  is 
something  unexpected.  The  only  guess  I  can  give  is  that  the 
enemy  is  trying  to  cross  the  river  to  move  on  our  right  flank. 
I  have  plenty  of  work  to  get  my  family  ready  to  move.  Reveille 
is  sounding  all  through  the  corps. 

The  artillery  bugles  sound  beautifully  in  the  morning  air. 
May  be  in  a  day  or  two  we  will  hear  the  familiar  roar  of  the  big 
guns.  Of  course  I  will  write  again  upon  the  very  first  opportu 
nity.  But  remember  I  am  a  poor  soldier  campaigning,  and  make 
due  allowance  for  short  and  unsatisfactory  letters." 


14? 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  JUNK  5th,  1863. 

"We  were  sold  again.  After  turning  out  at  midnight  and 
packing  our  traps,  and  preparing  for  a  battle  which  somebody 
seemed  to  think  impending,  our  orders  were  countermanded.  So 
we  have  rebuilt  our  canvas  cities  and  settled  down  again.  The 
fact  is,  somebody  is  very  much  exercised  lest  the  terrible  Lee 
may  do  something  dangerous.  Three  times  now  of  late  this 
army  has  been  turned  out  of  house  and  home  to  lie  sweltering  in 
the  sun,  only  to  have  its  marching  orders  countermanded.  The 
boys  have  long  ago  learned  to  take  such  things  philosophically. 
They  tear  down  and  build  up  cheerfully  with  the  shrewd  obser 
vation,  that  'it  is  only  Johnny  Reb  fooling  the  balloon  again.' 
If  we  are  to  be  all  summer  at  the  mercy  of  the  balloon,  I  fear 
you  will  get  no  other  letters  than  those  written  on  the  eve  of  an 
active  campaign.  Colonel  Bragg  is  still  quite  ill.  The  command 
of  the  regiment  devolves  upon  me.  He  cannot  participate  in 
our  next  campaign.  He  is  wholly  unfit  for  duty  in  the  field. 

Later — Our  army  is  most  of  it  on  the  march.  The  rebel  army 
moved  last  night  which  explains  it." 

The  whole  of  the  rebel  army  had  not  moved.  The  corps  com 
manded  by  General  A.  P.  Hill  still  remained  at  Fredericksburgh. 
(Letter.)  FRIDAY  EVENING,  10  P.  M. 

"We  march  at  daylight  and  it  is  the  general  belief  that  we  will 
cross  the  Rappahannock  and  attack  the  enemy  here.     I  shall 
command  the  regiment." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  JUNE  6th,  1863. 

"Both  armies  are  moving.  Something  important  is  impending. 
The  Sixth  corps  has  crossed  the  river  and  occupied  the  plain 
below  Fredericksburgh,  and  every  few  moments  comes  the  boom 
of  their  cannon.  This,  however,  may  be  a  feint  to  hold  the  enemy 
here.  All  of  the  enemy's  tents  over  the  river  have  disappeared. 
We  are  now  lying  in  line  of  battle  supporting  the  sixth  corps 
which  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  I  think  it  likely,  how 
ever,  that  we  may  yet  take  the  double  quick  in  the  direction  of 
Bull  Run.  There  is  considerable  cannonading  over  the  river  but 
no  serious  engagement." 

This  excessive  readiness  inflicted  great  discomfort  upon  the 
troops.  The  men  would  lie  hour  after  hour  on  the  ground  in  the 


148 

hot  sun  with  everything  packed  for  marching.  As  we  lay  thus, 
Sam,  an  extraordinarily  homely  looking  darky  of  broad  African 
type,  who  worked  for  Colonel  Bragg,  fell  sound  asleep  in  the 
dust  of  the  road  under  the  hot  sun.  Ed.  Brooks,  our  Adjutant, 
who  loved  practical  jokes,  took  his  canteen  and  poured  water 
into  the  large  cavity  of  Sam's  ear.  Sam  was  aroused  indeed. 
He  rose  up,  shook  his  head  like  an  angry  lion,  and  seized  a 
soldier's  musket  from  the  gun  stacks.  Only  Brooks'  agility  saved 
him  from  being  thrust  through  by  a  bayonet.  It  was  with  diffi 
culty  and  a  dollar  that  Sam  was  appeased.  No  water  was  after 
ward  poured  in  his  ear. 

Extracts  from  a  daily  journal  kept  by  Dr.  John  C.  Hall : 
THURSDAY,  JUNE  4th,  1863,  8  A.  M. 

"We  are  sitting  like  Marius  among  the  ruins,  not  of  a  splendid 
city  but  of  our  encampments,  and  we  have  been  since  daylight. 
Our  tents  are  taken  down  and  packed,  our  blankets  are  rolled, 
our  valises  filled,  breakfast  eaten,  mules  and  darkies  loaded,  and 
we  are  'ready  to  march.'  But  we  lack  orders  to  'fall  in'  and 
march.  The  sun  looks  red  and  hot.  *  *  *  12  M.,  were 
ordered  to  're-pitch  our  tents'  " 

FRIDAY,  JUNE  5TH,  1863. 

«*  *  *  We  were  ordered  to  be  packed  up  ready  to  march 
at  5^  in  the  morning." 

SATURDAY,  JUNE  6th,  1863,  io)4  A.  M. 

"Played  the  same  game  we  did  two  days  ago.  Nearly  all  night 
spent  in  getting  ready  to  march  at  daylight,  but  here  we  still  re 
main  in  that  disagreeable  state  of  uncertainty  that  a  soldier  so 
often  experiences.  Orders  have  just  come  to  pitch  tents  'if  desir 
able'  but  we  may  expect  to  move  at  any  time.  *  >!<  In  the  army 
we  don't  know  anything  but  what  we  see.  We  rely  on  guessing. 
I  will  make  a  guess  :  Johnny  Reb  has  fooled  'fighting  Joe.'  Has 
Johnny  hid  ?  Has  he  evacuated  ?  Where  is  he  ?  Joe  can't  say 
and  the  balloon  is  nonplused  and  in  disgrace." 

General  Hooker's  reconnoitering  balloon  could  be  constantly 
seen  in  the  air,  and  it  was  a  subject  of  much  humorous  specula 
tion. 


149 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  WHITE  OAK  CHURCH,  ) 

SUNDAY  EVENING,  JUNE  yth,  1863.      j 

"We  are  again  in  camp  to-night  after  -roasting  in  line  of  battle 
for  two  days  in  the  hot  sun.  Our  movements  are  mysterious. 
There  are  three  brigades  of  the  sixth  corps  on  the  plateau  below 
Fredericksburgh  and  they  have  been  there  for  two  days  skirmish 
ing  with  the  enemy.  But  they  do  not  advance  an  inch  beyond 
the  old  line  of  demarkation,  the  Bowling  Green  Road.  The  rebel 
army  is  manifestly  preparing  for  some  movement.  General 
Hooker,  not  feeling  strong  enough  to  attack  them  seems  to  be 
trying  to  keep  them  here  by  shaking  his  fist  at  them.  If  he  be 
comes  satisfied  that  they  have  withdrawn  heavily  to  reinforce 
their  armies  elsewhere,  he  may  attack  them,  but  the  inevitable 
apron  string  will  draw  us  back  to  old  Bull  Run  if  the  enemy  ap 
pears  on  our  right  flank.  Let  them  go  to  Maryland.  A  small  force 
can  hold  the  entrenchments  in  front  of  Washington  while  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  threatening  their  communications,  would 
bring  them  to  battle  or  cause  them  to  retreat  with  the  same 
certainty  that  gravitation  brings  down  a  building  with  the  under 
pinning  knocked  out.  Let  the  rebel  army  go  into  Maryland,  the 
farther  the  better,  and  if  we  can  not  defeat  them  with  that  ad 
vantage,  we  can  never  crush  the  rebellion.  They  cannot  in  my 
judgment  go  too  far  into  Pennsylvania  with  the  army  of  the  Po 
tomac  between  them  and  their  base.  The  rich  Pennsylvania 
Dutchmen  can  well  be  allowed  to  suffer  -  for  one  year  a  loss  of 
their  cattle,  hogs  and  crops  to  get  the  rebel  army  of  Virginia, 
the  right  arm  of  the  rebellion,  in  such  a  trap.  When  I  had 
finished  that  sentence,  my  candle  fell  down  and  rolled  over  this 
sheet  of  paper  which  accounts  for  its  wretchedly  bad  appearance 
and  for  my  failure  to  complete  the  crushing  of  the  rebellion. 
Colonel  Bragg  has  gone  to  Washington.  His  foot  is  very  sore 
and  bad.  He  may  go  to  Wisconsin  before  returning,  and  I  ain 
likely  to  be  in  command  of  the  regiment  for  some  time." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  WHITE  OAK  CHURCH,  ) 

JUNE  ioth,  1863.      j 

"It  is  a  continued  series  of  alarms,  orders  and  counter-orders 
here.  Both  armies  are  maneuvering  and  threatening.  Our  troops 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river  are  securely  entrenched  and  can 


150 

not  be  driven  back  without  a  bloody  struggle.  The  rebels,  how 
ever,  show  no  serious  disposition  to  attack  them.  Meanwhile  we 
are  in  camp,  parading  and  drilling  again  as  usual.  I  think  we 
have  the  cleanest  and  healthiest  regiment  in  the  first  army  corps. 
There  are  only  two  men  sick,  and  they  are  marked  for  light  duty. 

I  have  just  had*  to  leave  my  writing  to  attend  to  an  unpleasant 
duty.  This  was  the  order  I  received :  'You  will  detail  from  your 
regiment  two  lieutenants  and  twenty  wholly  reliable  men,  to 
report  at  once  to  the  Provost  Marshal  of  the  first  division,  to 
execute  the  sentence  of  death,  etc.'  The  victim's  name  is  John 
P.  Woods  of  the  nineteenth  Indiana  regiment.  His  crime  was, 
'desertion  and  misbehavior  in  presence  of  the  enemy.'  He  will 
be  shot  next  Friday.  The  men,  I  assure  you,  dislike  to  be 
called  upon  for  such  duty.  The  miserable  man  is  seated  upon 
his  coffin  a  few  rods  in  front  of  a  platoon  of  men.  All  fire  at 
the  dropping  of  a  white  handkerchief,  each,  in  mercy,  aiming  at 
a  vital  part  and  each  hoping  that  his  is  the  blank  cartridge  with 
which  one  musket  is  charged.  Lieutenant  Clayton  B.  Rogers, 
who  is  the  Provost  Marshal  of  General  Wadsworth's  division, 
feels  very  badly  that  he  is  obliged  to  perform  this  duty. 

I  must  brag  a  little  about  our  regiment.  We  have  the 
healthiest  regiment  in  the  corps.  We  have  a  harmonious,  quiet 
and  satisfied  set  of  officers.  There  is  no  intriguing,  courtmar- 
tialing  or  backbiting,  which  is  common  in  the  army.  The  arms, 
accoutrements  and  clothing  are  kept  in  excellent  condition.  Let 
me  tell  you  the  routine  of  camp-life.  Reveille  is  the  first  thing 
in  the  morning  for  the  soldier.  When  it  is  sounded,  the  compa 
nies  are  formed  in  their  streets  and  the  roll  is  called,  one 
commissioned  officer  to  be  in  attendance.  In  one  hour,  comes 
the  breakfast  call.  Next,  the  police  call,  when  it  is  required  that 
the  whole  camp  shall  be  swept  as  clean  as  a  floor.  Next  comes 
guard  mounting  at  8:30  A.  M.  A  critical  inspection  is  made  by 
the  adjutant  of  the  men  of  the  guard  details,  and  slovenliness 
and  carelessness  is  punished.  Then  comes  a  company  inspection 
by  the  captains,  and  especial  attention  is  paid  to  the  personal 
cleanliness  of  the  men,  which  accounts  for  the  exceptional  good 
health  of  our  regiment.  Next,  I  conduct  a  battalion  drill  which 
is  over  at  ten  A.  M.  I  enjoy  this  drill,  as  our  regiment  is  not  to 


151 

be  surpassed,  and  I  feel  very  proud  of  their  splendid  movements. 
We  rest  then  during  the  heat  of  the  day  until  four  P.  M.,  when 
Major  Hauser  conducts  a  theoretical  drill  of  the  officers  of  the 
line.  At  half-past  five,  I  hold  dress  parade,  and  at  half-past  six, 
the  captains  conduct  a  company  drill.  At  seven  o'clock,  the 
Retreat  is  sounded  and  guard  dismissed.  At  nine  P.  M.,  Tattoo 
is  sounded  and  the  evening  roll-call  is  made,  and  at  ten  P.  M., 
Taps  are  beaten,  all  lights  are  put  out  and  the  day  is  done.  The 
most  orderly,  quiet,  systematic  community  in  the  world  is  a  well 
ordered  regiment  in  camp.  The  rebels  fired  briskly  quite  a 
while  last  night  on  our  troops  who  are  over  the  river,  but  shot 
very  wild.  One  or  two  of  their  shells  exploded  in  our  camp." 

The  next  letter,  written  at  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  June 
1 2th,  1863,  inaugurates  our  march  which  culminated  in  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  "We  are  to  march  this  morning  positively. 
I  think  the  whole  army  is  going,  for  the  order  is  from  General 
Hooker.  If  so,  it  will  be  your  second  time  'under  fire,  searching 
those  dreadful  lists.'  You  are  mustered  into  the  service  now  and 
must  endure  your  trials  and  hardships  as  a  soldier,  and  I  doubt 
not  they  will  be  harder  to  bear  than  mine,  for  you  see,  you  are  a 
raw  recruit.  Whether  we  march  in  advance  or  retreat,  against 
the  rifle  pits  beyond  the  river  or  toward  the  plains  of  Manassas, 
I  will  write  at  every  opportunity.  The  regiment  will  go  out 
strong  in  health  and  cheerful  in  spirit,  and  determined  always  to 
sustain  its  glorious  history.  It  has  been  my  ardent  ambition  to 
lead  it  through  one  campaign,  and  now  the  indications  are  that 
my  opportunity  has  come.  If  I  do  anything  glorious  I  shall 
expect  you  to  be  proud  of  me." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  BIVOUAC  NEAR  CENTREVIU<E,  VA.,  \ 

JUNE  i sth,  1863.     j 

"Here  we  are  again  on  our  annual  visit  to  Bull  Run.  I  think, 
however,  we  shall  miss  our  annual  drubbing.  We  broke  camp 
at  daylight  Friday  morning,  (the  twelfth.)  We  marched  that 
day  about  twenty  miles  under  a  scorching  sun  and  through 
suffocating  clouds  of  dust.  You  can  hardly  imagine  what  our 
poor  loaded  soldiers  suffer  on  such  marches.  We  camped  Friday 
night  at  Deep  Run.  We  marched  at  daylight  Saturday  and 


152 

camped  for  the  night  near  Bealton  station.  We  marched  Sunday 
morning  and  all  day  Sunday  and  all  night,  and  until  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon  to-day,  when  we  reached  this  point,  tired,  sore, 
sleepy,  hungry,  dusty  and  dirty  as  pigs.  I  have  had  no  wink  of 
sleep  for  two  nights.  Our  army  is  in  a  great  hurry  for  something. 
I  hope  we  can  be  allowed  to  stay  here  to-morrow,  to  recruit  our 
energies.  The  indications  now  are  that  we  will.  Indeed  our 
poor  worn  out  fellows  must  have  some  rest.  We  have  had  no 
mail  and  no  papers  since  leaving  camp.  I  must  go  to  sleep. 
My  darky  boy,  William,  has  got  my  oil  cloth  fixed  for  a  shade, 
and  I  am  going  to  wrap  up  in  my  blanket  and  lie  down  on  the 
ground  with  my  haversack  for  a  pillow,  and  I  will  have  a  sounder, 
sweeter,  more  refreshing  sleep,  than  if  I  was  in  the  softest  bed. 
When  3^ou  pity  my  deplorable  condition,  remember  my  noble 
boys  who  have  had  ten  times  the  toil  and  have  come  through 
without  a  murmur." 

On  this  hot  march  our  pack  mule  laid  himself  down,  in  spite  of 
William's  efforts  to  the  contrary,  in  the  water  of  Deep  Run, 
seriously  damaging  the  rations  of  our  regimental  headquarters 
mess.* 

(Ivetter  to  M.  B.  G.)  BIVOUAC  NEAR  L/EESBURG,  VA.,  ) 

JUNE  i8th,  1863.     } 
"fWe  are  still  toiling  along  on  our  weary  way  with  only  such 

*This  story,  from  the  humorous  pen  of  Loyd  G.  Harris,  evidently  refers 
to  the  circumstance.  The  mess,  however,  consisted  of  Major  Hauser,  Ad 
jutant  Brooks,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Dawes,  and  the  three  surgeons. 

' '  Willyum'  was  a  quiet  colored  boy  who  waited  on  our  Colonel  and  Lieu 
tenant  Colonel. 

Once  on  a  long  march  we  had  halted  for  the  night.  The  camp  fires  were 
blazing  in  full  glory,  and  the  air  was  thick  with  appetizing  smells  from  the 
coffee-pots  and  frying-pans.  'Willyum'  and  the  pack  mule  that  carried  the 
baggage  and  mess  utensils  for  the  field  officers  were  both  missing.  Our 
gallant  Colonel  and  the  quiet  Lieutenant  Colonel,  were  getting  decidedly 
hungry,  when  'Willyum'  came  in. 

'Where  is  the  pack  mule?'  the  Colonel  asked. 

'Why,  sah,  just  as  we  war  coming  by  de  big  pond,  'bout  a  half  a  mile 
back,  I  thought  I'd  gib  him  a  drink,  an'  de  ole  fool  just  laid  down  wid  de 
whole  pack  in  de  water,  an'  I  reckon  I  will  want  'bout  ten  men  to  git  him 
out.' 

The  mule  and  pack  were  rescued  in  a  damaged  condition,  but  the  field 
officers  had  a  late  meal  that  night." 

Lieutenant  Harris  commanded  company  "C"  during  the  Gettysburg 
campaign,  Captain  Thomas  W.  Plummer  having  been  wounded  at  Fitz 
Hugh's  Crossing. 

tVolume  XXVII,  Part  I,  Page  140,  War  Records. 


153 

halts  or  rests  as  are  absolutely  essential  to  renew  the  strength  of 
man  and  beast.  We  are  hurrying  to  the  rescue  of  Pennsylvania 
and  Maryland  as  I  never  knew  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to 
hurry  before.  And  yet  I  suspect  that  we  are  anathematized  for 
our  slow  motions.  'Where  is  the  Army  of  the  Potomac?'  is,  I 
presume,  the  indignant  exclamation  of  many  good  people  in  the 
land  to-day.  Our  march  yesterday  was  terribly  severe.  The  sun 
was  like  a  furnace,  and  the  dust  thick  ancF  suffocating.  Many  a 
poor  fellow  marched  his  last  day  yesterday.  Several  men  fell 
dead  on  the  road.  Our  boys  have  all  come  through  so  far, 
accepting  the  hardships  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  remaining 
cheerful  and  obedient.  I  assure  you  I  feel  proud  of  them" 

Upon  this  march  General  James  S.  Wadsworth  showed  great 
solicitude  for  the  suffering  men.  There  was  an  ambulance  loaded 
with  the  valises  of  the  officers  serving  on  his  staff.  These 
valises  the  old  General  ordered  thrown  out,  and  the  ambulance 
filled  with  the  knapsacks  and  muskets  of  the  exhausted  soldiers.. 
But  the  papers  of  the  division  headquarters  were  in  these  valises 
and  all  were  diligently  sought  and  gathered  up  during  the  night. 
It  was  said  that  the  General  threw  out  his  own  valise. 

"One  of  my  greatest  hardships  is  to  get  no  mail.  Sometimes 
a  little  package  of  headquarters  letters  are  brought  through. 
Suppose  you  put  First  Brigade,  First  Division,  First  Army  Corps 
on  your  letters.  I  got  a  letter  from  my  sister  which  was  directed 
in  that  way.  We  got  the  newspapers  to-day.  Our  brigade 
newsboy  got  them  through  in  some  way.  The  head-lines  say : 
'Rebels  in  Pennsylvania1 — 'Another  battle  at  Antietam  on  the  tapis' 
I  hope  not.  I  never  want  to  fight  there  again.  The  flower  of 
our  regiment  were  slaughtered  in  that  terrible  corn-field.  I 
dread  the  thought  of  the  place.  If  there  is  a  battle,  watch  the 
papers  to  see  if  General  John  F.  Reynolds  and  General  James  S. 
Wadsworth  figure  in  it.  By  them  you  can  trace  me.  (As  it 
proved,  the  first  flash  of  the  telegraph  from  Gettysburg  was,  that 
General  John  F.  Reynolds  had  been  killed  while  leading  a  charge 
of  the  "Iron  Brigade,"  and  that  Wadsworth's  division  had  opened 
the  great  battle,  suffering  severely  in  the  fight.)  Colonel  Wm. 
W.  Robin&m  of  the  seventh  Wisconsin,  has  temporary  command 
of  the  brigade.  It  is  said  that  General  Meredith  will  be  Military 


154 

Governor  of  Indiana.  I  write  under  continual  marching  orders, 
and  a  perpetual  pressure  of  business.  An  ordnance  report, 
clothing  report,  picket  detail  and  other  duties,  stop  my  writing." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  BIVOUAC  ON  BROAD  RUN,  TEN  MILES  ) 
FROM  LEESBURG,  VA.,  JUNE  iQth,  1863.  j 
"I  have  pitched  my  tent  to-night  in  a  splendid  grove  of  grand 
old  oaks  on  the  banks  of  Broad  Run.  Nothing  could  be  more 
pleasant  or  romantic  than  our  situation  to-night,  but  the  boom  of 
hostile  cannon  toward  *Aldie  Gap  takes  away  something  from 
the  romance.  Our  march  to-day  was  short  and  well  conducted, 
and  our  men  are  washing  themselves  in  the  pure  waters  of  Broad 
Run  and  so  are  feeling  fresh  and  more  cheerful.  It  is  eight  days 
to-night  since  we  have  had  a  regular  mail,  and  we  do  not  expect 
any  soon.  It  rains  through  my  tent  on  the  paper  which  causes 
the  spots.  It  is  very  dark,  too,  to-night,  and  we  came  near 
having  to  march,  as  orders  came  to  that  effect,  and  ambulances 
were  sent  for  the  sick.  The  impression  was,  when  we  camped 
this  evening,  that  we  would  remain  here  a  day  or  two  and  I  had 
my  camp  systematically  arranged  with  reference  to  regularity 
and  cleanliness." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  BIVOUAC  NEAR  BROAD  RUN,  | 

LOUDON  Co.,  VA.,  JUNE  2ist,  1863.      j 

"Our  long  watched  for  mail,  caught  us  last  night.  The  cannon 
are  sounding  in  the  direction  of  Leesburg  and  there  is  quite  a 
battlef  being  fought  there  this  Sabbath  morning.  Our  men 
seem  to  have  driven  the  rebels,  and  the  firing  seems  to  have 
receded.  Have  had  a  very  busy  forenoon.  Ordnance  to 
inspect,  camp  to  be  put  in  condition,  candidates  for  the  invalid 
corps  to  be  examined,  and  I  got  twelve  letters  in  the.  mail.  You 
see  that  we  are  in  camp  again.  I  suppose  we  are  waiting  for  the 
'favorable  opportunity  to  fall  upon  Lee  and  destroy  him.'  Lee, 
meanwhile,  ravages  Pennsylvania  at  his  leisure,  but  there  is  one 
thing, — 'Washington  is  safe.'  ' 

I  have  a  letter  from  Kph,  (my  brother).  He  says:  'Of  course 
I  have  heard  all  about  your  troubles,  or  rather  the  tribulation  of 

*  Volume  XXVII,  Part  I,  Page  53,  War  Records. 
tVolume  XXVII,  Part  I,  Page  53,  War  Records. 


155 

the  folks  at  home  through  Doctor  What's-his-name's  mistake. 
Being  relieved  by  a  telegraphic  dispatch  from  any  apprehension 
for  your  safety,  I  could  not  help  looking  at  the  ludicrous  side  of 
the  question  and  it  was  decidedly  funny.  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I 
had  an  idea  that  you  had  something  of  a  liking  for  the  young 
lady,  and  thought  the  matter  would  some  day  come  to  a  crisis. 
Our  regiment  numbers  in  the  aggregate  595,  of  whom  535  are 
'  present  for  duty.'  The  absentees  are  mostly  detached.  We 
have  no  sick  men  and  have  had  but  one  man  die  of  disease  with 
the  regiment  in  six  months,  though  we  have  marched  several 
hundred  miles.'  The  week's  marching  in  the  dust  and  heat  has 
been  hard  on  the  men.  One  of  our  men  in  company  T  has  become 
a  lunatic  from  the  effect  of  the  heat.  The  newspapers  say  there 
were  a  thousand  cases  of  sunstroke  in  our  army.  I  stand  the  sun 
very  well,  but  it  has  made  me  brown  as  sole  leather.  We  are  no 
holiday  soldiers.  I  sent  my  boy,  Billy,  all  over  the  country  to-day 
to  find  something  to  eat.  Nothing  was  forthcoming  but  a  little 
wet  flour  and  our  biscuits  w7ere  very  soggy,  but  it  was  a  relief  from 
hard  tack.  Did  you  ever  eat  a  hard  tack?  Get  one  and  eat  it  if 
you  can  for  my  sake.  There  are  reports  of  a  chicken  of  rebel  pro 
clivities,  and  Billy  has  laid  a  campaign  to  capture  it.  So  I  hope 
for  better  things  to-morrow.  My  boy,  Billy,  is  a  good  provider, 
but  this  desert  is  too  much  for  him.  Hard  tack,  ham,  fresh  beef 
and  coffee  without  milk  is  the  ceaseless  round  of  our  bill  of  fare." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  ON  BROAD  RUN, 

JUNE  24th,   1863. 

"General  Hooker  show7s  no  disposition  to  press  the  enemy  so 
long  as  he  confines  his  attention  to  the  Pennsylvania  Dutchmen 
and  leaves  Washington  alone.  The  prospect  is  very  dark  with 
us  just  now.  But  if  we  open  the  Mississippi,  and  I  think  we 
will,  and  can  thwart  General  Lee  in  this  effort  to  carry  the  war, 
as  the  rebels  say,  'into  Africa,'  we  will  have  accomplished  for 
this  summer,  perhaps,  all  we  have  any  right  to  expect.  Our 
cause  is  just  and  we  will  get  success  as  soon  as  we  deserve  it. 
As  an  Ohio  man,  I  shall  feel  deeply  humiliated  if  Vallandigham 
is  elected  the  next  Governor. 

I  had  a  chance  to  do  a  good  thing  this  morning  and  it  gave  me 
pleasure.  One  of  our  men  of  company  'C,'  a  fat  cheeked,  sleepy 


156 

boy,  was  sent  to  me  under  guard  by  the  field  officer  of  the  day  of 
Wadsworth's  division,  to  be  dealt  with  for  sleeping  on  his  picket 
post,  for  which  the  penalty  is  death  when  in  the  presence  of  the 
enemy.  The  poor  fellow,  who,  like  Joe  in  Pickw7ick,  slept 
because  of  a  big  supper  on  rebel  chicken,  was  sadly  frightened. 
That  demon,  official  duty,  required  that  I  should  prefer  charges 
and  send  him  to  a  general  court  martial  for  trial.  But  with  a 
sharp  lecture  and  warning,  I  released  him  from  arrest  and  sent 
him  to  his  company.  His  demonstration  of  gratitude  was  quite 
affecting.  He  will  remember  the  Lieutenant  Colonel  command 
ing  the  Sixth,  as  long  as  he  lives.  (  His  life,  poor  fellow,  was 
short.  He  fell  dead  eight  days  afterward  in  the  charge  on  the 
railroad  cutting  at  Gettysburg.) 

Our  living  has  improved  much  within  a  day  or  two.  We  now 
get  butter,  eggs,  milk,  mutton,  and  indeed  almost  everything  but 
fruit.  I  do  not  expect  to  taste  a  strawberry  this  year.  When  in 
camp  we  generally  live  comfortably  enough.  It  is  on  the  march 
that  we  have  to  suffer.  Our  provisions  and  a  wedge-tent,  we 
carry  on  a  pack  mule.  Everything  else  I  carry  on  my  horse.  I 
have  a  good  horse.  She  knows  the  orders  on  battalion  drill 
almost  as  well  as  the  men  do,  She  will  follow  the  column  on  a 
night  march  no  matter  how  dark.  This  is  important,  as  to  lose 
the  road  in  the  night  is  fatal  to  a  Colonel.  He  leads  astray  all 
troops  behind  him." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  BIVOUAC  NEAR  MIDDLKTON,  MD.,  j 

JUNE  2yth,  1863.      ) 

"We  are  once  more  at  the  old  South  Mountain  battle  ground. 
We  left  our  camp  near  Guilford  station  on  Broad  Run,  early  on 
the  morning  of  the  twenty-fifth.  We  marched  all  night  and 
crossed  the  Potomac  at  Edwards  Ferry.  We  proceeded  via 
Poolsville  and  encamped  for  the  night  near  Barnesville.  We 
marched  next  morning  at  daylight,  and  through  deep  mud  and  a 
drizzling  rain  all  day,  and  encamped  near  Jefferson,  in  the  valley 
of  Middleton.  This  morning  we  started  early  and  reached  this 
point  at  two  o'clock  P.  M.  Our  marches,  except  to-day,  have 
been  long  and  toilsome.  What  do  you  think  of  trudging  along 
all  day  in  a  soaking  rain,  getting  as  wret  as  a  drowned  rat,  taking 
supper  on  hard  tack  and  salt  pork,  and  then  wrapping  up  in  a 


EKKVE  T  MAX  GEK  S .  MEREDITH 


157 

wet  woolen  blanket  and  lying  down  for  a  sleep,  but  waked  up 
during  the  night  three  or  four  times  to  receive  and  attend  to 
orders  and  finally  turning  out  at  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  to 
get  the  regiment  ready  to  march  ?  Well — that  is  soldiering,  and 
it  is  a  great  deal  more  comfortable  soldiering,  than  to  march 
'  through  suffocating  clouds  of  dust  under  a  hot  sun.  In  the  dust, 
men  are  dogged  and  silent.  In  the  rain  they  are  often  even 
hilarious  and  jolly. 

The  campaign  has  now  been  fairly  inaugurated  on  Northern 
soil.  General  Meredith  and  I  rode  together  this  evening  over 
our  battle  ground  on  South  Mountain.  The  grass  has  grown 
green  over  the  graves  of  our  brave  boys,  who  lie  buried  there. 
The  inscriptions  on  the  head  boards  are  already  scarcely  legible 
and  with  their  destruction  seems  to  go  the  last  poor  chance  that 
the  sacrifice  these  men  have  made  for  their  country  shall  be 
recognized  and  commemorated." 

We  did  not  then  suspect  that  all  would  be  gathered  up  by  our 
Government  and  buried  in  beautiful  National  cemeteries,  to  be 
forever  cared  for,  and  their  memories  held  in  perpetual  honor. 

"General  Meredith  pointed  out  to  me  the  grave  of  a  private 
soldier  of  the  nineteenth  Indiana  regiment,  who  had  been  a  pro 
fessor  in  a  western  college,  and  a  man  of  marked  scholarship  and 
refinement.  What  could  be  more  unselfish  and  noble  than  the 
sacrifice  this  man  has  made  for  his  country." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  BIVOUAC  IN  PENNSYLVANIA  j 

ON  MARSH  CREEK,  NEAR  GETTYSBURG,  JUNE  3oth,  1863.      j 

"We  left  South  Mountain  in  great  haste  on  the  28th,  and 
marched  to  Frederick  city  through  a  drizzling  rain  as  usual. 
Next  day  we  moved  from  Frederick  to  Kmmitsburg,  Md.,  and 
to-day  we  came  here,  where  we  are  having  a  muster  for  pay.  I 
don't  think  I  ever  before  saw  at  this  time  of  the  year  such  a  long 
continued,  misty,  drizzling  storm  as  we  have  been  marching 
through  since  we  crossed  the  Potomac.  ^General  Meade  as 
commander  of  the  army  was  a  surprise." 

Meade  lacked  the  martial  bearing  and  presence  of  Hooker. 
Few  of  our  men  knew  him  by  sight.  He  was  sometimes  seen 
riding  by  the  marching  columns  of  troops  at  a  fast  trot,  his  hat 

*  Volume  *XX  VII,  Part  I,  Page  61,  War  Records. 


158 

brirn  turned  down  and  a  poncho  over  his  shoulders.  The  only 
sign  of  rank  was  a  gold  cord  on  his  hat.  At  the  muster  for  pay, 
I  read  to  the  regiment,  General  Meade's  address  to  the  troops. 

"We  have  marched  through  some  beautiful  country.  It  is 
refreshing  to  get  out  of  the  barren  desert  of  Virginia  into  this 
land  of  thrift  and  plenty.  Our  reception  in  Maryland  was  hardly 
so  enthusiastic  as  last  summer,  but  in  Pennsylvania,  everybody, 
great  and  small,  is  overjoyed  at  the  coming  of  our  banners." 

Our  regiment  had  the  advance  and  first  crossed  the  Pennsyl 
vania  line. 

"The  rebel  stealing  parties  are  running  away  ahead  of  us  and 
I  presume  the  whole  rebel  army  is  concentrating  to  give  us  battle." 

As  we  marched  through  Kmmitsburg,  the  advance  of  the  army, 
some  students  in  the  Catholic  college  welcomed  us  with  great 
enthusiasm  and  several  of  them  marched  along  with  us  beyond 
the  town,  giving  the  above  information.  They  were  much  in 
terested  in  watching  the  movements  of  our  advance  guard  and 
flankers,  the  feelers  of  the  army.  They  wanted  to  see  us  "flush 
the  enemy." 

"I  am  kept  full  of  business  on  such  hurried  marches,  scarcely 
from  morning  to  night  getting  a  moment  I  can  call  my  own." 

The  unfinished  letter  was  here  placed  in  my  pocket  to  await 
a  convenient  opportunity  to  complete  it,  and  the  next  entry  upon 
the  sheet  is  as  follows :  "July  ist  A.  M.  Orders  have  just  come, 
'pack  up,  be  ready  to  march  immediately.'  I  will  finish  this 
letter  the  first  chance  I  get." 

I  put  the  unfinished  letter  again  in  my  pocket  and  rode  on  at 
the  head  of  my  regiment  to  Gettysburg.  The  letter  is  finished 
in  a  nervous  scrawl  written  with  a  pencil. 

"LINK  OF  BATTLE  ON  A  HILL  NEAR  GETTYSBURG,  ) 
JULY  2nd,  1863,  8  A.  M.      j 

God  has  preserved  me  unharmed  through  another  desperate 
bloody  battle.  Regiment  lost  *one  hundred  and  sixty  men 
killed  and  wounded.  I  ordered  a  charge  and  we  captured  a 
regiment.  fMajor  Stone,  commanding  the  second  Mississippi, 

*  Actual  loss  one  hundred  and  sixty  eight. 

tThis,  as  will  be  seen  was  an  error.  It  was  Major  John  A.  Blair.  J.  M. 
Stone  was  the  Colonel,  but  he  had  been  shot  and  disabled. 


159 

surrendered  his  sword  and  regiment  to  me.  There  are  no  com 
munications  now  with  the  North,  but  sometime  I  hope  you  will 
get  this." 

(Letter.)  IN  LINK  OP  BATTLE  BEFORE  GETTYSBURG,  \ 

JULY  4th,  1863,  12  M.      j 

"I  am  entirely  safe  through  the  first  three  of  these  terrible 
days  of  this  bloody  struggle.  The  fighting  has  been  the  most 
desperate  I  ever  saw.  On  July  ist,  our  corps  was  thrown  in 
front,  unsupported  and  almost  annihilated.  My  regiment  was 
detached  from  the  brigade  and  we  charged  upon  and  captured 
the  second  Mississippi  rebel  regiment.  Their  battle  flag  is  now 
at  General  Meade's  headquarters,  inscribed  as  follows  :  'Captured 
by  the  sixth  Wisconsin,  together  with  the  entire  regiment,  kept 
by  Sergeant  Evans  for  two  days,  while  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.'  ' 

This  battle  flag  with  its  inscription  is  in  the  Ordnance  Museum 
of  the  War  Department  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Its  official  num 
ber  is  forty-eight. 

"The  Sixth  has  lost  so  far  one  hundred  and  sixty  men.  Since 
the  first  day  we  have  lost  only  six.  O,  Mary,  it  is  sad  to  look 
now  at  our  shattered  band  of  devoted  men.  Only  four  field 
officers*  in  the  brigade  have  escaped  and  I  am  one  of  them.  I 
have  no  opportunity  to  say  more  now  or  to  write  to  any  one  else. 
Tell  mother  I  am  safe.  There  is  no  chance  to  telegraph.  God 
has  been  kind  to  me  and  I  think  he  will  yet  spare  me." 

IN  LINE  OF  BATTLE  BEFORE  GETTYSBURG,  ) 
JULY  4th,  6  P.  M.      j 

f "  What  a  solemn  birthday.  My  little  band,  now  only  two  hun 
dred  men,  have  all  been  out  burying  the  bloody  corpses  of  friend 
and  foe.  No  fighting  to-day.  Both  armies  need  rest  from  the  ex- 

*The  field  officers  of  the  brigade  fared  thus  in  the  battle :  Second  Wis 
consin,  Colonel  L.  Fairchild,  lost  an  arm  ;  Lieutenant  Colonel  G.  H.  Ste 
vens,  killed  ;  Major  John  Mansfield,  severely  wounded.  Seventh  Wiscon 
sin,  Lieutenant  Colonel  John  B.  Callis,  shot  through  the  body  ;  Major 
Mark  Finnicuin,  wounded.  Nineteenth  Indiana,  Lieutenant  Colonel  W.  W. 
Dudley,  lost  a  leg  while  acting  as  color  bearer ;  Major  Lindley  wounded. 
Twenty-fourth  Michigan,  Colonel  H.  A.  Morrow,  wounded;  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Flannagin,  lost  a  leg ;  Major  Wright,  wounded.  The  four  who 
escaped  injury  were  Colonel  W.  W.  Robinson,  seventh  Wisconsin  Col. 
S.  Williams,  Nineteenth  Indiana,  and  Major  Hauser  and  myself. 

tl  was  twenty-five  years  old  on  this  day. 


160 

haustion  of  the  desperate  struggle.  My  boys  until  just  now  have 
had  nothing  to  eat  since  yesterday  morning.  No  regiment  in  this 
army  or  in  any  other  army  in  the  world  ever  did  better  service  than 
ours.  We  were  detached  from  the  brigade  early  on  the  first  day 
and  we  operated  as  an  independent  command.  I  saved  my  men 
all  I  could  and  we  suffered  terribly  to  be  sure,  but  less  than  any 
other  regiment  in  the  brigade.  We  captured  a  regiment.  I 
don't  know  as  we  will  get  our  just  credit  before  the  country,  but 
we  have  it  with  our  Generals." 

I  went  in  person  taking  the  captured  battle  flag  to  General 
Meade,  at  headquarters  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The 
object  of  this  visit  was  to  obtain,  if  possible,  permission  to  send 
the  battle  flag  to  the  Governor  of  Wisconsin  to  be  retained  at 
the  capitol  of  Wisconsin  as  a  trophy.  In  this  effort  I  was  un 
successful,  and  I  brought  the  flag  back.  As  I  passed  along  from 
General  Meade's  headquarters  to  Gulps'  Hill,  carrying  the  rebel 
battle  flag  loosely  folded  over  my  arm,  I  took  my  course  over  the 
ground  where  General  Pickett  made  his  charge.  Many  wounded 
Confederate  soldiers  were  still  lying  on  this  ground.  A  badly 
wounded  Confederate  sergeant  who  had  lain  upon  the  ground 
during  the  night,  called  to  me  in  a  faint  voice :  "You  have  got 
our  flag!  "  It  was  a  sergeant  of  the  second  Mississippi  regiment. 
The  men  of  this  regiment  who  had  escaped  from  the  railroad 
cut  and  other  casualties  on  July  first,  had  taken  part  in  this 
attack.  This  man  informed  me  that  the  commander  of  his 
regiment  at  the  time  of  its  surrender  was  Major  John  A.  Blair, 
and  he  gave  me  many  particulars  in  regard  to  the  history  of  the 
regiment.  No  introductions  took  place  at  the  railroad  cut.  I 
do  not  know  whether  this  sergeant  survived  his  wound.  I  did 
all  in  my  power  to  secure  for  him  aid  and  attention. 

HEADQUARTERS  SIXTH  WISCONSIN  VOLUNTEERS,  ") 

•  LINE  OF  BATTLE  BEFORE  GETTYSBURG, 

JULY  4th,  1863.     ) 

"Sir: — I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  the  accompanying  battle 
flag  of  the  second  regiment  of  Mississippi  Confederate  Volun 
teers  was  captured  by  the  regiment  under  my  command  under 
the  following  circumstances:  Shortly  after  the  opening  of  the 
action  on  the  morning  of  July  first,  my  regiment  was  by  com- 


161 

mand  of  General  Doubleday,  detached  from  the  brigade  and 
ordered  to  the  support  of  the  right  of  the  division  (Wadsworth's) 
which  was  being  forced  back  and  outflanked  by  the  enemy.  I 
moved  as  rapidly  as  possible  upon  the  advancing  line  of  the 
enemy,  joining  with  the  fourteenth  Brooklyn  and  ninety-fifth 
New  York  on  my  left.  A  brisk  fire  was  opened  throughout  our 
line  which  soon  checked  the  enemy,  and  forced  him  to  take 
refuge  in  a  railroad  cut.  I  ordered  a  charge  upon  the  cut.  The 
men  moved  forward,  well  closed  and  on  a  run.  When  our  line 
reached  the  edge  of  the  cut,  the  rebels  ceased  firing  and  threw 
down  their  arms.  Major  Blair  commanding  the  regiment  in  my 
front,  the  second  Mississippi,  surrendered  his  sword  and  regiment. 
The  battle  flag  was  taken  before  the  surrender  by  Corporal  F. 
Asbury  Waller  of  company  T  and  sent  to  the  rear  in  charge  of 
Sergeant  Wm.  Evans  of  company  'H'  who  was  badly  wounded. 
The  Sergeant  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  enemy  and  held  for  two 
days  in  Gettysburg.  With  the  assistance  of  some  ladies,  whose 
names  I  have  not  learned,  he  successfully  concealed  the  color  and 
finally  when  the  enemy  retired,  brought  it  safely  to  the  regiment. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully, 

R.  R.  DAWKS, 

Lieutenant  Colonel  commanding  sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers." 
This   report   was   directed  to  General   Wadsworth's   adjutant 
general. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  ON  THE  MARCH,  JULY  6th,  2  P.  M. 

"We  have  stopped  for  a  fewrnoments  near  Kmmitsburg.  I  am 
entirely  well.  I  telegraphed  to  mother  day  before  yesterday. 
This  has  been  a  terrible  ordeal.  Our  loss  is  30  killed  outright, 
116  wounded,  several  of  whom  have  died  since,  and  25  missing, 
all  from  340  men  taken  into  battle.  My  horse  was  shot  under 
me  early  in  the  fight,  which  perhaps  saved  my  life.  The  experi 
ence  of  the  past  few  days  seem  more  like  a  horrible  dream  than 
the  reality.  May  God  save  me  and  my  men  from  any  more  such 
trials.  Our  bravest  and  best  are  cold  in  th,e  ground  or  suffering 
on  beds  of  anguish.  I  could  tell  a  thousand  stories  of  their 
heroism  :  One  young  man,  Corporal  James  Kelly  of  company 
"B,"  shot  through  the  breast,  came  staggering  up  to  me  before  he 
fell  and  opening  his  shirt  to  show  the  wound,  said  'Colonel,  won't 


162 

you  write  to  my  folks  that  I  died  a  soldier.'  Every  man  of  our 
color  guard  was  shot  and  several  volunteer  color  bearers.  Inhere 
was  not  a  man  of  them  but  would  die  before  the  honor  of  the 
old  Sixth  should  be  tarnished.  I  do  not  know  what  is  in  store 
for  us  but  you  know  that  with  my  earliest  chance,  I  will  write 
you  fully  of  what  has  happened." 

This  history  would  be  incomplete  with  no  glimpse  of  how  the 
new  recruit  stood  fire  at  home.  As  the  thunders  of  Gettysburg 
rolled  over  the  land,  there  was  intense  excitement  on  the  part  of 
all  the  people.  Telegraphic  bulletins  were  posted  every  few 
hours.  This  is  from  M.  B.  G.  to  R.  R.  Dawes : 

HOME,  JULY  4th,  1863. 

"Your  birthday,  and  I  have  been  all  the  time  anticipating  so 
much  pleasure  in  writing  to  you  to-day  but  it  is  only  to-night 
that  I  have  felt  that  I  could  write  at  all.  It  has  seemed  utterly 
impossible  for  me  to  write  to  you,  not  knowing  you  were 
where  my  letters  could  ever  reach  you  or  my  prayers  ever  avail 
you.  I  feel  that  I  can  now— not  that  I  think  you  are  out  of 
danger  by  any  means — but  I  believe  you  will  be  spared.  I  shall 
not  undertake  to  tell  you  how  slowly  and  sorrowfully  the  last 
three  days  have  dragged  along.  The  first  news  we  heard  of  the 
battle  was  that  the  first  army  corps  was  engaged  and  General 
Reynolds  killed.  About  noon  to-day  I  began  to  feel  more  hopeful 
that  you  had  got  through  safely,  but  this  afternoon  we  hear  that 
the  first  corps  is  engaged  again.  When  will  they  ever  let  you 
rest?  From  the  papers,  to-night,  I  conclude  }TOU  came  safely 
through  Wednesday  (July  ist)  but  your  corps  commander  killed 
and  your  brigade  commander  wounded.  I  shall  watch,  oh,  so 
anxiously,  for  tidings  this  week,  praying  that  God  in  His  mercy 
may  spare  you." 

MARIETTA,  OHIO,  JULY  yth,  1863. 

"I  am  beginning  to  feel  as  if  I  could  write  to  you  again,  not 
quite  sure  you  are  safe  yet  but  taking  heart  from  the  fact  that  we 

have  had  no  bad  news  and  we  have  the  list  of  killed  and  wounded 

ffe 

in  the  sixth  Wisconsin  up  to  Thursday  evening.  We  hope  you 
were  not  in  that  division  of  the  first  corps  which  was  engaged 
Friday  (July  3rd).  If  you  are  only  safe  how  we  shall  rejoice! 
Of  all  times  to  think  that  you  should  have  commanded  the  regi- 


163 

ment  in  this  great  victory  !  Don't  you  suppose  I  was  proud  of 
you  and  the  sixth  Wisconsin,  last  night,  when  I  read  of  your 
regiment,  the  fourteenth  Brooklyn  and  the  ninety-fifth  New  York 
capturing  a  whole  brigade?  There  has  been  greater  rejoicing 
over  your  victory  in  Pennsylvania  than  I  have  ever  known,  and 
within  the  last  half  hour  dispatches  have  come  saying  that  Vicks- 
burg  is  ours.  'Great  Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen.'  I  do  not  know 
how  as  a  Nation  we  are  going  to  bear  our  success,  but  I  know  as 
an  individual  I  can't  bear  much  more  of  any  thing." 


VIII. 

THE  SIXTH  WISCONSIN  AT  GETTYSBURG. 

*When  General  James  S.  Wadsworth's  division  of  the  first 
army  corps  marched  toward  Gettysburg  on  the  morning  of  July 
first,  1863,  the  sixth  Wisconsin  was  the  last  regiment  in  the  order 
of  march  for  the  day.  The  brigade  guard,  two  officers  and  one 
hundred  men,  marched  immediately  behind  us,  which  accounts 
for  their  assignment  to  the  regiment  for  duty  when  we  became 
involved  in  battle.  The  column  moved  on  the  Emmitsburg 
Road.  Three  hundred  and  forty  officers  and  enlisted  men 
marched  in  the  ranks  of  the  regiment.  All  were  in  the  highest 
spirits.  To  make  a  show  in  the  streets  of  Gettysburg,  I  brought 
our  drum  corps  to  the  front  and  had  the  colors  unfurled.  The 
drum  major,  R.  N.  Smith,  had  begun  to  play  "The  Campbells  are 
Coming,"  and  the  regiment  had  closed  its  ranks  and  swung  into 
the  step,  when  we  first  heard  the  cannon  of  the  enemy,  firing  on 
the  cavalry  of  General  Buford.  The  troops  ahead  turned  across 
the  fields  to  the  left  of  Gettysburg,  toward  the  Seminary  Ridge. 
We  stopped  our  music,  which  had  at  least  done  something  to 
arouse  the  martial  spirit  of  old  John  Burns,  and  turned  to  engage 
in  the  sterner  duties  involved  in  war.  When  the  head  of  the 
regimental  column  reached  the  crest  of  Seminary  Ridge,  an  aide 
of  General  Meredith,  Lieutenant  Gilbert  M.  Woodward,  came  on 
a  gallop  with  the  order,  "Colonel,  form  your  line,  and  prepare  for 
action."  I  turned  my  horse  and  gave  the  necessary  orders.  The 
evolution  of  the  line  was  performed  on  the  double  quick,  the 
men  loading  their  muskets  as  they  ran.  Hastening  forward  on  a 
run  to  get  to  our  position  on  the  left  flank  of  the  "Iron  Brigade," 
which,  regiment  after  regiment,  en  echelon,  was  dashing  into  the 
McPherson  woods,  another  aide,  Lieutenant  Marten,  came  gal- 

*For  organization  Army  of  the  Potomac,  see  Page  155,  Volume  XXVII, 
Part  I,  War  Records. 


165 


loping  up  and  said,  ''Colonel,  ^General  Doubleday  is  now  in  com 
mand  of  the  first  corps,  and  he  directs  that  you  halt  your 
regiment."  General  John  F.  Reynolds  had  been  killed,  but  the 
fact  was  not  disclosed  to  us  by  Lieutenant  Marten.  I  halted  the 
men  and  directed  them  to  lie  down  on  the  ground.  The  brigade 
guard  now  reported  to  me  for  duty  in  the  impending  battle,  and  I 
divided  them  into  two  companies  of  fifty  men  each,  and  placed 
them  upon  the  right  and  left  flanks  of  the  regiment. 

The  brigade  guard  comprised  twenty  men  from  each  of  the 
five  regiments  of  the  "Iron  Brigade."  The  two  officers,  Lieu 
tenant  Lloyd  G.  Harris,  sixth  Wisconsin,  and  Lieutenant  Levi 
Showalter,  second  Wisconsin,  were  capable  men  and  excellent 
leaders.  Eighty-one  men  of  the  other  regiments  of  the  brigade 
were  thus,  by  the  emergency  of  sudden  and  unexpected  battle, 
brought  into  the  ranks  of  our  regiment. 

The  situation  on  the  field  of  battle  of  all  the  troops  now  en 
gaged,  will  be  made  clear  by  a  diagram.  Two  brigades  of  each 
army  confronted  each  other.  Archer's  brigade  opposed  the 
"Iron  Brigade,"  and  Joseph  R.  Davis's  brigade  opposed  Cutler's 
brigade  of  Wadsworth's  division.  Hall's  battery  was  with  Cut 
ler's  brigade. 


ARCHERS  BRIGADE 


MC.PHERSONF* 


JOS.  R.  DAVIS  BRIGADE 


^       24.  MICH. 
6.TH.  WIS.  HALTED 


SEMINARY 


HALL 


147.  N.Y.         56.  PA.          76.  N.Y.. 


CUTLER'S  BRIGADE. 


•I 
V1 


*I  deemed  the  extremity  of  the  woods,  which  extended  to  the  summit  of 
the  ridge,  to  be  the  key  of  the  position,  and  urged  that  portion  of  Mere 
dith's  brigade,  the  Western  men  assigned  to  its  defense,  to  hold  it  to  the 
last  extremity.  Full  of  the  memory  of  their  past  achievements,  they 
replied  cheerfully  and  proudly,  "If  we  can't  hold  it,  where  will  you  find 
men  who  can  ?  "— Doubleday 's  Report. 


166 

Excepting  the  sixth  Wisconsin,  the  whole  of  Wadsworth's 
division  was  hotly  engaged  in  battle  with  the  enemy.  Lieutenant 
Meredith  Jones  came  with  orders  from  General  Doubleday.  He 
said,  "^General  Doubleday  directs  that  you  move  your  regiment 
at  once  to  the  right."  I  immediately  gave  the  order  to  move  in 
that  direction  at  a  double  quick.  Captain  J.  D.  Wood  came  and 
rode  beside  me,  repeating  the  order  from  General  Meredith  and 
saying  the  rebels  were  "driving  Cutler's  men."  The  guns  of 
Hall's  battery  could  be  seen  driving  to  the  rear,  and  Cutler's  men 
were  manifestly  in  full  retreat. 

The  following  diagram  illustrates  the  change  of  front  made  to 
throw  the  regiment  on  the  flank  of  the  victoriously  advancing 
enemy.  Across  our  track  as  we  hurried  on,  passed  some  officers 


6TH.  WIS.   REG'. 
DOUBLE  QUICK 


T 


*  HORSE  SHOT 

2  GUN  ABANDONED  BY  HALL. 


FOLGER  CJN. 


carrying  in  a  blanket  the  body  of  our  corps  commander,  General 
John  F.  Reynolds.  We  did  not  then  know  that  he  had  been  shot. 
Suddenly  my  horse  reared  and  plunged.  It  did  not  occur  to 
me  that  she  had  been  shot.  I  drew  a  tight  rein  and  spurred  her 
when  she  fell  heavily  on  her  haunches.  I  scrambled  from  the 

"*The  sixth  Wisconsin, together  with  the  brigade  guard,  under  Lieutenants 
Harris,  of  the  sixth  Wisconsin,  and  Showalter,  of  the  second  Wisconsin, 
had  been  detached  by  my  order,  to  remain  with  me  as  a  reserve.  There 
was  no  time  to  be  lost,  as  the  enemy  was  already  in  the  woods,  and  ad 
vancing  at  double  quick  to  seize  this  important  central  position  and  hold 
the  ridge.  The  "Iron  Brigade,"  led  by  the  second  Wisconsin  in  line,  and 
followed  by  the  other  regiments,  deployed  en  echelon  without  a  moment's 
hesitation,  charged  with  the  utmost  steadiness  and  fury,  hurled  the  enemy 
back  into  the  run,  and  reformed  their  lines  on  the  high  ground  beyond  the 
ravine. 

The  second  Wisconsin,  in  this  contest,  under  the  gallant  Colonel  Fair- 
child,  was  particularly  distinguished.  It  accomplished  the  difficult  task  of 
driving  superior  numbers  of  rebel  infantry  from  the  shelter  of  the  woods, 
and  to  it  also  belongs  the  honor  of  capturing  General  Archer  himself.  He 
was  brought  in  by  Private  Patiick  Maloney,  of  company  "G."  It  is  to  be 
lamented  that  this  brave  Irishman  was  subsequently  killed  in  the  action." 


167 

ground,  where  I  had  been  thrown  sprawling,  in  front  of  the 
regiment,  and  the  men  gave  a  hearty  cheer.  The  gallant  old 
mare  also  struggled  to  her  feet  and  hobbled  toward  the  rear  on 
three  legs.  She  had  been  struck  in  the  breast  by  a  minnie  ball, 
which  penetrated  seventeen  inches.  For  years  she  carried  the 
bullet,  which  could  be  felt  under  the  skin  behind  the  left  shoul 
der  blade — but  woe  to  the  man  who  felt  it,  as  her  temper  had 
been  spoiled.  For  the  rest  of  the  battle  I  was  on  foot.  The 
regiment  halted  at  the  fence  along  the  Cashtown  Turnpike,  and  I 
gave  the  order  to  fire.  In  the  field,  beyond  the  turnpike,  a  long 
line  of  yelling  Confederates  could  be  seen  running  forward  and 
firing,  and  our  troops  ot  Cutler's  brigade  were  running  back  in 
disorder.  The  fire  of  our  carefully  aimed  muskets,  resting  on 
the  fence  rails,  striking  their  flank,  soon  checked  the  rebels  in 
their  headlong  pursuit.  The  rebel  line  swrayed  and  bent,  and 
suddenly  stopped  firing  and  the  men  ran  into  the  railroad  cut, 
parallel  to  the  Cashtown  Turnpike.  I  ordered  my  men  to  climb 
over  the  turnpike  fences  and  advance.  I  was  not  aware  of  the 
existence  of  the  railroad  cut,  and  at  first  mistook  the  manuever 
of  the  enemy  for  retreat,  but  was  undeceived  by  the  heavy  fire 
which  they  began  at  once  to  pour  upon  us  from  their  cover  in  the 
cut.  Captain  John  Ticknor,  always  a  dashing  leader,  fell  dead 
while  climbing  the  second  fence,  and  many  were  struck  on  the 
fences,  but  the  line  pushed  on.  When  over  the  fences  and  in  the 
field,  and  subjected  to  an  infernal  fire,  I  first  saw  the  ninety-fifth 
New  York  regiment  coming  gallantly  into  line  upon  our  left.  I 
did  not  then  know  or  care  where  they  came  from,  but  was  re 
joiced  to  see  them.  Farther  .to  the  left  was  the  ^fourteenth 
Brooklyn  regiment,  but  I  was  then  ignorant  of  the  fact.  Major 
Edward  Pye  appeared  to  be  in  command  of  the  ninety-fifth  New 
York.  Running  to  the  major,  I  said,  "We  must  charge."  The 

*Colonel  E.  B.  Fowler  fourteenth  Brooklyn,  in  his  official  report,  has 
given  the  impression  that  he  ordered  the  sixth  Wisconsin  regiment  to  make 
this  charge.  He  gave  us  no  orders  whatever.  I  did  not  know  he  was  on 
the  field  until  the  charge  was  over.  I  called  Colonel  Fowler's  attention  to 
the  matter  and  he  stated  as  an  explanation  that  he  sent  an  officer  to  give 
me  such  an  order.  Colonel  Fowler  was  retreating  his  regiment  when  we 
arrived  at  the  turnpike  fence.  He  then  changed  front  and  joined  our  ad 
vance.  The  fourteenth  Brooklyn  and  ninety-fifth  New  York  jointly  had 
not  more  men  in  action  than  the' sixth  Wisconsin. 


168 

gallant  major  replied,  "Charge  it  is."  "Forward,  charge !"  was 
the  order  I  gave,  and  Major  Pye  gave  the  same  command.  We 
were  receiving  a  fearfully  destructive  fire  from  the  hidden  enemy. 
Men  who  had  been  shot  were  leaving  the  ranks  in  crowds.  With  the 
colors  at  the  advance  point,  the  regiment  firmly  and  hurriedly 
moved  forward,  while  the  whole  field  behind  streamed  with  men 
who  had  been  shot,  and  who  were  struggling  to  the  rear  or 
sinking  in  death  upon  the  ground.  The  only  commands  I  gave, 
as  we  advanced,  were,  "Align  on  the  colors !  Close  up  on  the 
colors  !  Close  up  on  the  colors  !  "  The  regiment  was  being  so 
broken  up  that  this  order  alone  could  hold  the  body  together. 
Meanwhile  the  colors  fell  upon  the  ground  several  times  but  were 
raised  again  by  the  heroes  of  the  color  guard.  Four  hundred 
and  twenty  men  started  in  the  regiment  from  the  turnpike  fence, 
of  whom  about  two  hundred  and  forty  reached  the  railroad  cut. 
Years  afterward  I  found  the  distance  passed  over  to  be  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  paces.  Every  officer  proved  brave,  true, 
and  heroic  in  encouraging  the  men  to  breast  the  deadly  storm, 
but  the  real  impetus  was  the  eager  and  determined  valor  of  our 
men  who  carried  muskets  in  the  ranks.  I  noticed  the  motions  of 
our  "Tall  Sycamore,"  Captain  J.  H.  Marston,  who  commanded 
company  "E."  His  long  arms  were  stretched  out  as  if  to  gather 
his  men  together  and  push  them  forward.  At  a  crisis  he  rose  to 
his  full  height,  and  he  was  the  tallest  man  in  the  regiment,  ex 
cepting  Levi  Steadman  of  company  "I,"  who  was  killed  on  this 
charge.  How  the  rebels  happened  to  miss  Captain  Marston  I 
cannot  comprehend.  Second  Lieutenant  O.  B.  Chapman,  com 
manding  company  "C,"  fell  dead  while  on  the  charge.  The 
commission  of  Lieutenant  Thomas  Kerr  as  captain  of  company 
"D,"  bears  the  proud  date  of  July  first,  1863 — in  recognition  of 
his  conduct.  The  rebel  color  was  seen  waving  defiantly  above 
the  edge  of  the  railroad  cut.  A  heroic  ambition  to  capture  it 
took  possession  of  several  of  our  men.  Corporal  Eggleston,  of 
company  "H,"  sprang  forward  to  seize  it,  and  was  shot  and  mor 
tally  wounded.  Private  Anderson,  of  his  company,  furious  at 
the  killing  of  his  brave  young  comrade,  recked  little  for  the  rebel 
color,  but  he  swung  aloft  his  musket  and  with  a  terrific  blow 
Split  the  skull  of  the  rebel  who  had  shot  young  Eggleston.  This 


169 

soldier  was  well  known  in  the  regiment  as  "Rocky  Mountain 
Anderson."  Lieutenant  William  N.  Remington  was  shot  and 
severely  wounded  in  the  shoulder,  while  rushing  for  the  color. 
Into  this  deadly  melee  came  Corporal  Francis  A.  Waller,  who 
seized  and  held  the  rebel  battle  flag.  His  name  will  forever 
remain  upon  the  historic  record,  as  he  received  from  Congress  a 
*medal  for  this  deed. 

My  notice  that  we  were  upon  the  enemy,  was  a  general  -cry 
from  our  men  of :  "Throw  down  your  muskets!  Down  with 
your  muskets!"  Running  forward  through  our  line  of  men,  I 
found  myself  face  to  face  with  hundreds  of  rebels,  whom  I  looked 
down  upon  in  the  railroad  cut,  which  was,  where  I  stood,  four  feet 
deep.  Adjutant  Brooks,  equal  to  the  emergency,  quickly  placed 
about  twenty  men  across  the  cut  in  position  to  fire  through  it. 
I  have  always  congratulated  myself  upon  getting  the  first  word. 
I  shouted  :  "Where  is  the  colonel  of  this  regiment  ?  "  An  officer 
in  gray,  with  stars  on  his  collar,  who  stood  among  the  men  in 
the  cut,  said:  "Who  are  you?"  I  said:  "I  command  this  regi 
ment.  Surrender,  or  I  will  fire."  The  officer  replied  not  a  word, 
but  promptly  handed  me  his  sword,  and  his  men,  who  still  held 
them,  threw  down  their  muskets.  The  coolness,  self-possession, 
and  discipline  which  held  back  our  men  from  pouring  in  a  general 
volley  saved  a  hundred  lives  of  the  enemy,  and  as  my  mind  goes 
back  to  the  fearful  excitement  of  the  moment,  I  marvel  at  it. 
The  fighting  around  the  rebel  colors  had  not  ceased  when  this 
surrender  took  place.  I  took  the  sword.  It  would  have  been 
the  handsome  thing  to  say,  "Keep  your  sword,  sir,"  but  I  was 
new  to  such  occasions,  and  when  six  other  officers  came  up  and 
handed  me  their  swords,  I  took  them  also.  I  held  this  awkward 
bundle  in  my  arms  until  relieved  by  Adjutant  Brooks.  I  directed 
the  officer  in  command,  fMajor  John  A.  Blair,  of  the  second 
Mississippi  regiment,  to  have  his  men  fall  in  without  arms.  He 
gave  the  command,  and  his  men,  (seven  officers  and  two  hundred 
and  twenty-five  enlisted  men)  obeyed.  To  Major  John  F.  Hauser 
I  assigned  the  duty  of  marching  this  body  to  the  provost-guard. 

*See  Page  282,  Volume  XXVII,  Part  II,  War  Records. 
tColonel  J.  M.  Stone,  since  Governor  of  Mississippi,  was  in  command  at 
the  opening  of  the  battle,  but  he  had  been  wounded  and  disabled. 


170 

lieutenant  William  Goltermann  of  Company  "F,"  volunteered  to 
command  a  line  of  volunteer  skirmishers,  which  I  called  for  as 
soon  as  Major  Hauser  moved  his  prisoners  away.  This  line  of 
men  took  possession  of  the  ridge  toward  the  enemy  and  guarded 
against  a  surprise  by  a  return  of  the  enemy  to  attack.  One  gun 
of  Hall's  second  Maine  battery  stood  upon  the  field  before  the 
railroad  cut  and  between  the  hostile  lines.  After  the  surrender, 
Captain  Rollin  P.  Converse  took  men  enough  for  the  purpose 
and  pulled  this  gun  to  the  turnpike,  where  Captain  Hall  took  it 
again  in  charge. 

Corporal  Frank  Asbury  Waller  brought  me  the  captured  battle 
flag.  It  was  the  flag  of  the  second  Mississippi  Volunteers,  one 
of  the  oldest  and  most  distinguished  regiments  in  the  Confed 
erate  army.  It  belonged  to  the  brigade  commanded  by  Joseph 
R.  Davis,  the  nephew  of  Jefferson  Davis.  It  is  a  rule  in  battle 
not  to  allow  sound  men  to  leave  the  ranks.  Sergeant  William 
Evans  of  company  "H,"  a  brave  and  true  man,  had  been  severely 
wounded  in  the  thighs.  He  was  obliged  to  use  two  muskets  as 
crutches.  To  him  I  intrusted  the  battle-flag,  and  I  took  it  from 
the  staff  and  wrapped  it  around  his  body. 

Adjutant  B.  P.  Brooks  buckled  on  one  of  the  captured  swords, 
and  he  still  retains  it,  but  the  other  six  were  given  to  a  wounded 
man  and  delivered  to  our  chief  surgeon,  A.  W.  Preston.  The 
enemy,  when  they  took  the  town,  captured  the  hospital  and  the 
swords.  No  discredit  to  the  doctor  is  implied,  as  his  hands  were 
full  of  work  with  wounded  men. 

*After  this  capture  of  prisoners  in  the  railroad  cut  there  was  a 

*The  line  officers  present  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  were  as  follows ; 
the  first  named  is  the  company  commander  when  the  fight  opened  :  Lieu 
tenant  Howard  F.  Pruyn,  company  "A,"  wounded;  Lieut.  H.  J.  Huntington, 
company  "A  ;"  Captain  R.  P.  Converse,  company  "B;"  Lieutenant  Charles 
P.  Hyatt,  company  "B ;"  Lieutenant  Loyd  G.  Harris,  company  "C," 
wounded  ;  Lieutenant  O.  D.  Chapman,  company  "C,"  killed  ;  Lieutenant 
Thomas  Kerr,  company  "D ;"  Captain  J.  H.  Marston,  company  "E;" 
Lieutenant  Michael  Mangan,  company  "E,"  wounded ;  Lieutenant  Oscar 
Graetz,  company  "F  ;"  Lieutenant  William  Goltermann,  company  "F  ;" 
Lieutenant  James  L.  Converse,  company  "G  ;"  Lieutenant  John  Timmons, 
company  "G ;"  Lieutenant  ;John  Beeley,  company  "H,"  wounded  ;  Lieu 
tenant  H.  B.  Merchant,  company  "H,"  Wounded  ;  Lieutenant  Earl  M. 
Rogers,  company  "I ;"  Captain  John  Ticknor,  company  "K,"  killed  ;  Lieu 
tenant  William  N.  Remington,  company  "K,"  wounded;  Lieutenant  Wrn. 
S.  Campbell,  company  "K."  Captain  Charles  H.  Ford  and  Lieutenant  C. 


171 

lull  in  the  battle.  Our  comrades  of  the  "Iron  Brigade,"  who  had 
charged  so  brilliantly  into  the  McPherson  woods,  had  been  com 
pletely  victorious.  They  had  routed  Archer's  brigade,  capturing 
its  commander  and  many  of  its  men,  and  then  they  had  changed 
front  to  move  to  the  relief  of  Cutler's  brigade,  but  our  charge 
upon  the  railroad  cut,  and  its  success,  obviated  that  necessity. 
By  this  charge  Joseph  R.  Davis'  brigade  was  scattered  or 
captured.*  We  had  fairly  defeated,  upon  an  open  field,  a  supe 
rior  force  of  the  veterans  of  the  army  of  General  Lee.  It  was  a 
short,  sharp,  and  desperate  fight,  but  the  honors  were  easily  with 
the  boys  in  blue. 

While  the  regiment  is  being  reorganized,  let  us  follow  Sergeant 
William  Evans.  Weak  and  faint  from  loss  of  blood,  he  painfully 
hobbled  to  Gettysburg,  and  became  exhausted  in  the  street. 
Brave  and  faithful  friends  came  to  his  relief.  Two  young  women 
assisted  this  wounded  soldier  into  their  home,  and  placed  him 
upon  a  bed.  The  Union  troops  soon  began  to  retreat  in  confu 
sion  through  the  town,  and  the  cheers  of  the  victorious  enemy 
could  be  plainly  heard.  Evans  begged  of  his  friends  to  hide  the 
rebel  flag.  They  cut  a  hole  in  the  bed-tick  beneath  him,  thrust 
in  the  flag,  and  sewed  up  the  rent.  The  flag  was  thus  safely 
concealed  until  the  enemy  retreated  from  Gettysburg,  and  on  the 
morning  of  July  4th  Evans  brought  his  precious  trophy  to  Gulp's 
Hill  and  gave  it  to  me  there.f 

E.  Rogers  were  acting  on  the  staff  of  General  Wadsworth.  Captain  John 
A.  Kellogg  was  the  very  efficient  Chief  of  the  Staff  of  General  Lysander 
Cutler.  His  service  was  distinguished  by  his  accustomed  activity  and 
bravery  in  battle.  Lieutenant  Levi  Showalter,  the  second  Wisconsin  officer 
commanding  the  improvised  company  of  the  brigade  guard  on  the  right  of 
the  regiment,  was  shot  and  severely  wounded.  He  was  a  gallant  officer 
and  led  his  men  with  a  spirit  equal  to  any  commander  in  the  line. 

*Vplume  XXVII,  Part  II,  Page  638,  War  Records.  General  Henry  Heth 
says  in  his  report:  "Davis'  brigade  was  kept  on  the  left  of  the  road  that  it 
might  collect  its  stragglers,  and  from  its  shattered  condition  it  was  not 
deemed  advisable  to  bring  it  again  into  action  on  that  day." 

The  strength  of  General  J.  R.  Davis'  brigade  May  31st,  1863,  for  duty, 
officers  and  men,  was  2,577  in  its  four  regiments  There  were  three  regi 
ments  in  this  battle,  or  approximately  1,933  men,  three  fourths  of  2,577. 
War  Records,  Volume  XVIII,  Page  1086. 

tA  letter  just  recieved  from  Captain  Loyd  G.  Harris  makes  the  following 
important  statement  regarding  the  rebel  battle  flag,  and  gives  the  name  of 
the  brave  women  who  saved  it  for  us  :  "After  I  was  wounded,  Lieut.  W.  N. 
Remington,  Lieutenant  John  Beely  and  myself,  were  in  a  temporary  hos_ 


172 


BATTLE    FLAG    OF    THE    SECOND    MISSISSIPPI    REGIMENT,    CAPTURED    AT 

GETTYSBURG. 

In  his  official  report  General  Doubleday  says  that  when  Cut 
ler's  regiments  were  overpowered  and  driven  back,  "the  moment 
was  a  critical  one,  involving  the  defeat,  perhaps  the  utter  rout  of 


pital  in  Gettysburg.  Acting  on  the  advice  of  the  surgeon,  we  found  pleasant 
quarters  with  the  family  of  Mr.  Hollenger,  and  while  there  were  joined  by 
one  of  our  sergeants  (William  Evans  I  think)  who  had  the  rebel  flag.  This 
was  about  noon.  Just  after  our  dinner,  firing  began  in  the  front.  I  went 
up  stairs  and  from  an  upper  porch  could  plainly  see  the  movement  of  the 
eleventh  corps  but  not  the  first  corps.  They  '(the  eleventh  corps)  were 
over-lapped  by  the  enemy  and  soon  in  full  retreat.  I  went  below  and  told 
Remington  and  Beely  to  hurry  out  and  get  to  the  rear  as  fast  as  they  could. 
Mrs.  Hollenger  partly  fainted,  and  assisted  by  her  husband  I  helped  to  carry 
her  to  the  cellar.  There  were  two  young  lady  daughters,  (Miss  Julia  was 
the  name  of  one  of  these  young  ladies).  I  bade  them  all  good  bye,  and 
when  I  went  out,  had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  shot  down  or  captured,  but 
by  going  through  houses,  after  I  passed  two  cross  streets,  found  my  com 
panions  in  an  ambulance.  Once  with  them  we  lead  the  retreat." 

There  was  brought  to  me  on  Gulp's  Hill,  July  4th,  when  our  wounded 
men  returned,  a  bouquet  of  flowers  with  the  compliments  of  Miss  Sallie 
Paxton.  This  lady  had  seen  our  charge  upon  the  railroad  cut. 


m 

our  forces."*  Later  in  the  day  we  marched  through  the  railroad 
cut,  and  about  one  thousand  muskets  lay  in  the  bottom  of  it. 
Only  one  regiment  surrendered  as  an  organization,  and  that  was 
the  second  Mississippi  Volunteers.  The  ninety-fifth  New  York 
took  prisoners,  as  did  also  the  fourteenth  Brooklyn.  All  the 
troops  in  the  railroad  cut  threw  down  their  muskets,  and  the  men 
either  surrendered  themselyes,  or  ran  away  out  of  the  other  end 
of  the  cut. 


THE  ADVANCE  ON  THE  RAILROAD  CUT. 
Seminary  Ridge  is  in  the  foreground.     Later  in  the  battle,  battery  "B" 
was  planted  here  and  in  the  timber  showing  on  the  right.    The  regiment 
when  supporting  this  battery  was  in  the  timber,  and  it  was  there  that  we 
reorganized  after  our  charge  upon  the  railroad  cut. 

We  next  advanced,  by  order  of  General  Wadsworth,  to  the 
ridgef  west   of  the  Seminary   Ridge.     Here  we  encountered  a 


*The  moment  was  a  critical  one,  involving  the  defeat,  perhaps  the  utter 
rout  of  our  forces.  I  immediately  sent  lor  one  of  Meredith's  regiments, 
the  Sixth  Wisconsin,  a  gallant  body  of  men,  who  I  knew  could  be  re 
lied  upon.  Forming  them  rapidly  perpendicular  to  the  line  of  battle  on 
the  enemy's  flank,  I  directed  them  to  attack  immediately.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Dawes,  their  commander,  ordered  a  charge,  which  was  gallantly 
executed.  The  enemy  made  a  hurried  attempt  to  change  front  to  meet  the 
attack,  and  flung  his  troops  into  the  railroad  cut  for  safety.  The  Ninety- 
fifth  New  York  volunteers,  Colonel  Biddle,  and  the  Fourteenth  Brooklyn, 
under  Colonel  Fowler,  joined  in  the  charge ;  the  cut  was  carried  at  ike 
point  of  the  bayonet. 

tOccupied  by  the  enemy  in  the  picture. 


1*4 

heavy  line  of  rebel  skirmishers,  upon  whom  we  opened  fire,  and 
drove  them  into  Willoughby  Run.  But  the  enemy  turned  upon 
us  the  fire  of  six  pieces  of  artillery  in  position  just  south  of  the 
Cashtown  Turnpike  beyond  Willoughby  Run,  and  beyond  the 
houses  in  the  picture.  The  shell  flew  over  us  and  burst  around  us 
so  thickly  that  I  was  obliged  to  order  the  men  to  lie  upon  the 
ground  under  the  brow  of  the  ridge.  The  "Iron  Brigade"  was 
in  the  McPherson Woods,  half  a  mile  to  our  left.  The  space  between 
us  and  that  brigade  was  occupied  by  Colonel  Roy  Stone's  Penn 
sylvania  Bucktails.  General  Lysander  Cutler's  brigade  was  now 
upon  our  right.  This  was  our  position  when  the  general  attack 
was  made  by  the  rebel  army  corps  of  Hill  and  Ewell  combined, 
at  half  past  one  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  first  brunt  of  it 
struck  the  gallant  brigade  of  Bucktails.  They  were  fighting  on 
Pennsylvania  soil.  Their  conduct  was  more  than  heroic,  it  was 
glorious.  I  can  not  describe  the  charges  and  counter-charges 
which  took  place,  but  we  all  saw  the  banner  of  the  one  hundred 
and  forty-ninth  Pennsylvania  planted  in  the  ground,  and  waving 
between  the  hostile  lines  of  battle,  while  the  desperate  fight  went 
on.  This  color  was  taken  by  the  enemy. 

Under  pressure  of  the  battle,  the  whole  line  of  Union  troops 
fell  back  to  the  Seminary  Ridge.  I  could  plainly  see  the 
entire  movement.  I  saw  Captain  Hollon  Richardson  who  acted 
as  an  aide  to  Colonel  W.  W.  Robinson,  now  in  command  of  the 
"Iron  Brigade,"  carrying  on  his  horse  and  waving  aloft,  the 
colors  of  the  seventh  Wisconsin,  as  the  proud  brigade  slowly 
drew  back  from  the  McPherson  Woods  to  the  Seminary  Ridge. 
We  received  no  orders.  Being  a  detached  regiment  it  is  likely 
that  we  were  overlooked.  The  enemy  (Hwell's  corps)  advanced 
so  that  the  low  ground  between  us  and  the  Seminary  Ridge 
in  our  rear  was  swept  by  their  fire.  It  would  cost  many  lives  to 
march  in  line  of  battle  through  this  fire.  I  adopted  the  tactics 
of  the  rebels  earlier  in  the  day,  and  ordered  my  men  to  run  into 
the  railroad  cut.  Then  instructing  the  men  to  follow  in  single 
file,  I  led  the  way,  as  fast  as  I  could  run,  from  this  cut  to  the  cut 
in  the  Seminary  Ridge.  About  a  cart  load  of  dirt  was  ploughed 
over  us  by  the  rebel  shell,  but  otherwise  not  a  man  was  struck. 
The  ranks  were  promptly  reformed,  and  we  marched  into  the 


175 

woods  on  the  Seminary  Ridge  to  the  same  position  from  which 
we  had  advanced.  The  whole  first  army  corps  was  now  in  line 
of  battle  on  the  Seminary  Ridge,  and  here  that  grand  body  of 
veteran  soldiers  made  a  heroic  effort  to  stay  the  overwhelming 
tide  that  swept  against  them.* 

Battery  "B,"  fourth  U.  S.  artillery,  under  command  of  Lieu 
tenant  James  Stewart,  came  up,  and  General  Wadsworth  directed 
me  to  support  it  with  my  regiment.  James  Stewart  was  as  brave 
and  efficient  a  man  as  ever  fought  upon  a  battle  field.  His  bat 
tery  was  manned  by  men  detailed  from  the  volunteers,  many  of 
them  from  our  brigade.  And  now  came  the  grand  advance  of 
the  enemy.  During  this  time  the  attack  was  progressing,  I  stood 
among  the  guns  of  battery  "B."  Along  the  Seminary  Ridge, 
flat  upon  their  bellies,  lay  mixed  up  together  in  one  line  of  battle, 
the  "Iron  Brigade"  and  Roy  Stone's  "Bucktails."  For  a  mile  up 
and  down  the  open  fields  in  front,  the  splendid  lines  of  the 
veterans  of  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia  swept  down  upon  us. 
Their  bearing  was  magnificent.  They  maintained  their  align 
ments  with  great  precision.  In  many  cases  the  colors  of 
regiments  were  advanced  several  paces  in  front  of  the  line. 
fStewart  fired  shell  until  they  appeared  on  the  ridge  east  of 
Willoughby  Run ;  when  on  this  ridge  they  came  forward  with  a 
rush.  The  musketry  burst  from  the  Seminary  Ridge,  every 
shot  fired  with  care,  and  Stewart's  men,  with  the  regularity 
of  a  machine,  worked  their  guns  upon  the  enemy.  The  rebels 
came  half  way  down  the  opposite  slope,  wavered,  began  to  fire,  then 
to  scatter  and  then  to  run,  and  how  our  men  did  yell,  "Come  on, 
Johnny!  come  on!"  Falling  back  over  the  ridge  they  came  on 
again  more  cautiously,  and  pouring  upon  us  from  the  start  a 
steady  fire  of  deadly  musketry.  This  killed  Stewart's  men  and 
horses  in  great  numbers,  but  did  not  seem  to  check  his  fire. 

*The  first  corps  only  consisted  of  about  8,200  men  when  it  entered  the 
battle.  It  was  reduced  at  the  close  of  the  engagement  to  about  2,450. — 
Doubleday's  Report. 

tSee  Report  of  confederate  Colonel  Abner  Perrin,  Volume  XXVII, 
Page  661,  Part  II,  War  Records,  and  General  A.  M.  Scales,  Page 
670,  and  Colonel  W.  J.  Lowrance,  Page  671.  These  reports  show  the 
terrible  effect  of  Stewart's  fire  upon  the  enemy.  In  1882  I  visited  the 
ground  with  General  A.  M.  Scales  and  he  stated  that  the  fire  of  battery  "B" 
was  the  most  destructive  he  had  known  in  the  war. 


176 

RKTREAT. 

Lieutenant  Clayton  E.  Rogers,  aide  on  General  Wadsworth's 
staff,  came  riding  rapidly  to  me.  Leaning  over  from  his 
horse,  he  said  very  quietly:  "The  orders,  colonel,  are  to 
retreat  beyond  the  town.  Hold  your  men  together."  I  was 
astonished.  The  cheers  of  defiance  along  the  line  of  the  first 
corps,  on  Seminary  Ridge,  had  scarcely  died  away.  But  a  glance 
over  the  field  to  our  right  and  rear  was  sufficient.  There  the 
troops  of  the  ^eleventh  corps  appeared  in  full  retreat,  and  long 
lines  of  Confederates,  with  fluttering  banners  and  shining  steel, 
were  sweeping  forward  in  pursuit  of  them  without  let  or 
hindrance.  It  was  a  close  race  which  could  reach  Gettysburg 
first,  ourselves,  or  the  rebel  troops  of  Ewell's  corps,  who  pursued 
our  eleventh  corps.  Facing  the  regiment  to  the  rear,  I  marched 
in  line  of  battle  over  the  open  fields  toward  the  town.  We  were 
north  of  the  railroad,  and  our  direction  separated  us  from  other 
regiments  of  our  corps.  If  we  had  desired  to  attack  Ewell's 
twenty  thousand  men  with  our  twro  hundred,  we  could  not  have 
moved  more  directly  toward  them.  We  knew  nothing  about  a 
Cemetery  Hill.  We  could  see  only  that  the  on-coming  lines  of 
the  enemy  were  encircling  us  in  a  horseshoe.  But  with  the  flag 
of  the  Union  and  of  Wisconsin  held  aloft,  the  little  regiment 
marched  firmly  and  steadily.  As  we  approached  the  town,  the 
buildings  of  the  Pennsylvania  College  screened  us  from  the  view 
of  the  enemy.  We  could  now  see  that  our  troops  were  retreating 
in  a  direction  at  right  angles  to  our  line  of  march.  We  reached 
a  street  extending  through  Gettysburg  from  the  college  to  Ceme 
tery  Hill,  and  crossed  it.  We  were  now  faced  by  the  enemy,  and 
I  turned  the  course  toward  the  Cemetery  Hill,  although  then 
unconscious  of  the  fact.  The  first  cross  street  was  swept  by  the 
musketry  fire  of  the  enemy.  There  was  a  close  board  fence, 


*Doctor  John  C.  Hall  was  on  duty  in  a  building  used  for  a  hospital  near 
the  railroad  station  in  Gettysburg.  From  the  north  window  he  had,  he 
says,  a  "perfect  view"  of  the  retreat  of  the  eleventh  corps.  In  his  journal  of 
July  second,  1863,  he  wrote  of  it:  "Away  went  guns  and  knapsacks,  and 
they  fled  for  dear  life,  forming  a  funnel  shaped  tail,  extending  to  the  town. 
The  rebels  coolly  and  deliberately  shot  them  down  like  sheep.  I  did  not 
see  an  officer  attempt  to  rally  or  check  them  in  their  headlong  retreat.  On 
came  the  rebs  and  occupied  the  town,  winning  at  that  point  a  cheap 
victory." 


177 


FLAG    OP    SIXTH    WISCONSIN     AS    CARRIED    AT    GETTYSBURG,    THE    LAST 
BATTLE  OF  THIS  OLD  COLOR. 

inclosing  a  barn-yard,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  A  board 
or  two  off  from  the  fence  made  what  the  men  called  a  "hog-hole." 
Instructing  the  regiment  to  follow  in  single  file  on  the  run,  I 
took  a  color,  ran  across  the  street,  and  jumped  through  this 
opening  in  the  fence.  Officers  and  men  followed  rapidly.  Taking 
position  at  the  fence,  when  any  man  obstructed  the  passage-way 
through  it,  I  jerked  him  away  without  ceremony  or  apology,  the 
object  being  to  keep  the  track  clear  for  those  yet  to  come.  Two 
men  were  shot  in  this  street  crossing.  The  regiment  was  re 
formed  in  the  barn-yard,  and  I  marched  back  again  to  the  street 
leading  from  the  Pennsylvania  College  to  the  Cemetery  Hill.  To 
understand  why  the  street  was  crossed  in  the  manner  described, 
it  should  be  remembered  that  men  running  at  full  speed,  scattered 
in  single  file,  were  safer  from  the  fire  of  the  enemy  than  if 
marching  in  a  compact  body.  By  going  into  the  inclosure,  the 
regiment  came  together,  to  be  at  once  formed  into  compact  order. 


178 

It  was  in  compliance  with  the  order,  to  keep  my  men  together. 
The  weather  was  sultry.  The  sweat  streamed  from  the  faces  of 
the  men.  There  was  not  a  drop  of  water  in  the  canteens,  and 
there  had  been  none  for  hours.  The  streets  were  jammed  with 
crowds  of  retreating  soldiers,  and  with  ambulances,  artillery,  and 
wagons.  The  cellars  were  crowded  with  men,  sound  in  body,  but 
craven  in  spirit,  who  had  gone  there  to  surrender.  I  saw  no  men 
wearing  badges  of  the  first  army  corps  in  this  disgraceful  com 
pany.  In  one  case,  these  miscreants,  mistaking  us  for  the 
rebels,  cried  out  from  the  cellar,  "Don't  fire,  Johnny,  we'll  sur 
render."  These  surroundings  were  depressing  to  my  hot  and 
thirsty  men.  Finding  the  street  blocked,  I  formed  my  men  in 
two  lines  across  it.  The  rebels  began  to  fire  on  us  from  houses 
and  cross-lots.  Here  came  to  us  a  friend  in  need.  It  was  an  old 
citizen  with  two  buckets  of  fresh  water.  The  inestimable  value 
of  this  cup  of  cold  water  to  those  true,  unyielding  soldiers,  I 
would  that  our  old  friend  could  know. 

After  this  drink,  in  response  to  my  call,  the  men  gave*  three 
cheers  for  the  good  and  glorious  cause  for  which  we  stood  in 
battle.  The  enemy  fired  on  us  sharply,  and  the  men  returned  their 
fire,  shooting  wherever  the  enemy  appeared.  This  firing  had  a 
good  effect.  It  cleared  the  street  of  stragglers  in  short  order. 
The  way  being  open  I  marched  again  toward  the  Cemetery  Hill. 
The  enemy  did  not  pursue  ;  they  had  found  it  dangerous  business. 
We  hurried  along,  not  knowing  certainly  that  we  might  not  be 
marching  into  the  clutches  of  the  enemy.  But  the  colors  of  the 
Union,  floating  over  a  well  ordered  line  of  men  in  blue,  who 
were  arrayed  along  the  slope  of  Cemetery  Hill,  became  visible. 
This  was  the  seventy-third  Ohio,  of  Steinwehr's  division  of  the 

*The  whole  retreat  from  the  commencement  was  most  creditable  to  the 
troops  engaged.  There  was  no  hurry  and  no  confusion,  but  the  regiments 
fell  back  calmly,  turning  from  time  to  time  to  check  the  enemy's  advance 
by  volleys  of  musketry,  and  again  retreating.  From  the  admixture  of  so 
many  different  regiments  at  the  seminary,  it  became  impossible  to  reorgan- 
nize  them  in  good  order  without  a  delay  which  would  have  exposed  the 
men  to  certain  destruction.  I  saw,  however,  no  running  or  undue  haste. 
All  the  troops  passed  tranquilly  on,  although  the  enemy  was  firing  into 
them  from  the  side  streets,  and  all  reformed  promptly  on  their  arrival  at 
Cemetery  Hill,  and  in  a  yery  short  time  were  again  ready  for  service.  The 
sixth  Wisconsin  marched  through  the  streets  in  a  body,  stopping  from  time 
to  time|to  return  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  and  giving  hearty  cheers  for  the  good 
old  cause  and  the  sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers. — Doubleday's  Keport. 


179 

eleventh  army  corps.  With  swifter  steps  we  now  pressed  on  up 
the  hill,  and,  passing  in  through  the  ranks  open  to  receive  us, 
officers  and  men  threw  themselves  in  a  state  of  almost  perfect 
exhaustion  on  the  green  grass  and  the  graves  of  the  cemetery. 
The  condition  of  affairs  on  Cemetery  Hill  at  this  time  has  been  a 
subject  of  discussion.  If  fresh  troops  had  attacked  us  then,  we 
unquestionably  would  have  fared  badly.  The  troops  were  scat 
tered  over  the  hill  in  much  disorder,  while  a  stream  of  stragglers 
and  wounded  men  pushed  along  the  Baltimore  Turnpike  toward 
the  rear.  But  this  perilous  condition  of  affairs  was  of  short 
duration.  There  was  no  appearance  of  panic  on  the  Cemetery 
Hill.  After  a  short  breathing  spell  my  men  again  promptly 
responded  to  the  order  to  "fall  in."  lieutenant  Rogers  brought 
us  orders  from  General  Wadsworth,  to  join  our  own  brigade, 
which  had  been  sent  to  occupy  Gulp's  Hill.*  As  we  marched 
toward  the  hill  our  regimental  wagon  joined  us.  In  the  wagon 
were  a  dozen  spades  and  shovels.  Taking  our  place  on  the 
right  of  the  line  of  the  brigade,  I  ordered  the  regiment  to  in 
trench.  The  men  worked  with  great  energy.  A  man  would  dig 
with  all  his  strength  till  out  of  breath,  when  another  would  seize 
the  spade  and  push  on  the  work.  There  were  no  orders  to 
construct  these  breastworks,  but  the  situation  plainly  dictated 
their  necessity.  The  men  now  lay  down  to  rest  after  the  arduous 
labors  of  this  great  and  terrible  day.  Sad  and  solemn  reflections 
possessed,  at  least,  the  writer  of  these  papers.  Our  dead  lay 
unburied  and  beyond  our  sight  or  reach.  Our  wounded  were  in 
the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Our  bravest  and  best  were  numbered 
with  them.  Of  eighteen  hundred  men  who  marched  with  the 
splendid  brigade  in  the  morning,  but  seven  hundred  were  here. 
More  than  one  thousand  men  had  been  shot.  There  was  to  us  a 
terrible  reality  in  the  figures  which  represent  our  loss.  We  had 
been  driven,  also,  by  the  enemy,  and  the  shadow  of  defeat  seemed 
to  be  hanging  over  us.  But  that  afternoon,  urider  the  burning 
sun  and  through  the  stifling  clouds  of  dust,  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  had  marched  to  the  sound  of  our  cannon.  We  had  lost 

*Colonel  W.  W.  Robinson,  of  the  seventh  Wisconsin  regiment,  was  in 
command  of  the  brigade,  having  succeeded  General  Meredith,  who  had 
been  wounded. 


180 

the  ground  on  which  we  had  fought,  we  had  lost  our  commander 
and  our  comrades,  but  our  fight  had  held  the  Cemetery  Hill  and 
forced  the  detision  for  history  that  the  crowning  battle  of  the 
war  should  be  at  Gettysburg.* 

It  is  a  troubled  and  dreamy  sleep  at  best  that  comes  to  the 
soldier  on  a  battle  field.  About  one  o'clock  at  night  we  had  a 
great  alarm.  A  man  in  the  seventh  Indiana  regiment,  next  on 
right,  cried  so  loudly  in  his  sleep  that  he  aroused  all  the  troops  in 
the  vicinity.  Springing  up,  half  bewildered,  I  ordered  my 
regiment  to  "fall  in,"  and  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry  broke  out 
from  along  the  whole  line  of  men.  At  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  according  to  orders,  the  men  were  aroused.  The 
morning  of  the  second  day  found  us  lying  quietly  in  our  breast 
works  near  the  summit  of  Gulp's  Hill.  We  were  in  the  shade 
of  some  fine  oak  trees,  and  enjoyed  an  excellent  view  of  nearly 
the  whole  battle  field.  Our  situation  would  have  been 
delightful,  and  our  rest  in  the  cool  shade  would  have  been 
refreshing,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  crack,  crack,  of  the  deadly 
sharpshooters  on  the  rebel  skirmish  line.  Owing,  probably,  to 
the  crooked  line  of  our  army,  the  shots  came  from  all  directions, 
and  the  peculiarly  mournful  wail  of  the  spent  bullet  was  con 
stantly  heard. 

LONGSTRKKT'S  ATTACK   ON   SICKLES. 

Our  line  faced  toward  the  town  of  Gettysburg.  For  hours  I 
watched  the  rebel  troops  with  a  field-glass,  as  their  heavy  columns 
of  infantry  marched  toward  our  right.  We  could  see  them  form 
ing  in  the  fields  beyond  Rock  Creek,  and  knew  that  they  were 
preparing  to  attack  Gulp's  Hill.  Until  four  o'clock  P.  M.,  but  little 
sound  was  heard  except  the  monotonous  noise  of  the  sharpshooter. 

*In  the  sixth  Wisconsin,  Adjutant  Edward  P.  Brooks  is  mentioned  for 
greatly  aiding  the  successful  capture  of  the  two  regiments  in  the  railroad 
cut,  by  throwing  a  body  of  men  into  the  cut  so  as  to  enfilade  the  rebel  line. 
Corporal  F.  Asbury  Waller,  of  company  I,  captured  the  colors  of  the  sec 
ond  Mississippi  previous  to  the  surrender  of  that  regiment.  Major  Hauser 
was  particularly  brave  and  efficient.  Captain  John  Ticknorand  Lieutenant 
Orrin  D.  Chapman,  who  were  killed  in  the  charge,  were  a  great  loss  to  the 
service.  Captain  Rollin  P.  Converse  and  Lieutenant  Charles  P.  Hyatt,  of 
company  B,  and  Lieutenant  Goltermann,  of  company  F,  were  also  among 
the  highly  distinguished.  The  commander  of  the  regiment,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  R.  R.  Dawes,  proved  himself  to  be  one  of  the  ablest  officers  on  the 
field.— Doubleday's  Report. 


ii  >TTBLF,I>AY 


181 

At  this  hour,  from  the  Cemetery  Hill  and  from  a  long  distance  in 
that  direction,  the  storm  of  battle  suddenly  broke  out.  Artillery 
and  musketry  thundered  and  crashed  together.  Amid  the  tumult 
we  could  plainly  hear  the  rebel  charging  yell.  We  momentarily 
expected  that  the  rebels  in  the  valley  of  Rock  Creek  would 
advance  upon  us.  But  they  did  not  come,  and  gradually  our 
attention  became  absorbed  by  the  awful  combat  on  our  left.  We 
could  plainly  see  that  our  troops  were  giving  ground.  Thou 
sands  were  streaming  to  the  rear.  Our  suspense  and  anxiety 
were  intense.  We  gathered  in  knots  all  over  the  hill, 
watching  the  battle.  It  seemed  to  us  a  long  time  that  this 
savage,  but  to  all  appearances  unfavorable,  struggle  went 
on.  The  rebel  line  certainly  was  advancing.  The  rebel 
yell  certainly  was  predominant.  Brigade  after  brigade  moved  in, 
but  the  tide  was  against  us.  As  the  sun  was  low  down  a  fine 
sight  was  seen.  It  was  two  long  blue  lines  of  battle,  with  twenty 
or  thirty  regimental  banners,  charging  forward  into  the  smoke 
and  din  of  battle.  To  all  appearances  they  saved  the  field. 
But  a  sound  came  now  from  the  woods  to  our  right,  that  made  us 
jump  for  our  breastworks.  It  was  the  rebel  yell,  sounded  by 
thousands  of  voices.  It  was  almost  dusk,  and  beginning  to  be 
quite  dark  in  the  woods.  I  ran  to  my  post,  and  ordered:  "Down, 
men,  watch  sharp,  keep  your  eyes  peeled!'  Shoot  low,  shoot 
low,  the  hill  is  steep;  quiet,  now;  steady!"  After  these  orders 
and  cautions,  the  men  peered  sharply  into  the  woods  to  "let  them 
have  it"  as  they  came  up  the  hill  against  us.  But  there  is  no 
attack  upon  us.  The  crash  of  Union  muskets  breaks  out  on  our 
right,  and  we  know  that  the  attack  is  on  the  twelfth  corps.  Soon 
a  staff  officer  came  along,  calling:  "Where  is  Colonel  Dawes?" 
I  answered:  "Here."  He  said:  "Take  your  regiment,  sir,  and 
report  to  General  Greene."  I  said:  "Where  is  he?"  "He  is 
over  in  the  woods  where  they  are  attacking."  I  commanded: 
"Attention,  battalion,  right  face,  forward  by  file  right — march!  " 
and  we  started  for  General  Greene.  Who  he  was  I  did  not  know, 
but  the  musketry  showed  where  to  go.  The  first  mounted  officer 
I  saw  proved  to  be  General  G.  S.  Greene,  of  the  twelfth  army 
corps.  Taking  from  his  pocket  a  card,  he  wrote  in  the  darkness 
his  name  and  command,  which  he  handed  to  me.  He  then  directed 


182 

me  to  form  my  regiment,  and  go  into  the  breastworks ;  to  go 
as  quickly  as  possible,  and  to  hold  the  works  after  I  got  there. 
I  did  not  then  understand,  nor  did  he,  that  the  rebels  already  had 
possession  of  these  works.  Facing  the  regiment  to  the  front,  I 
ordered:  "Forward— run;  march!"  We  received  no  fire  until 
we  neared  the  breastworks,  when  the  enemy  who  had  possession 
of  them,  lying  on  the  lower  side,  and  who  were  completely  sur 
prised  at  our  sudden  arrival,  rose  up  and  fired  a  volley  at  us,  and 
•  immediately  retreated  down  the  hill.  This  remarkable  encounter 
did  not  last  a  minute.  We  lost  two  men,  killed — both  burned 
with  the  powder  of  the  guns  fired  at  them.  The  darkness  and 
the  suddenness  of  our  arrival  caused  the  enemy  to  fire  wildly. 
We  recaptured  the  breastworks  on  our  front,  and  the  fourteenth 
Brooklyn,  which  came  in  on  our  right,  also  got  possession  of  the 
works.  We  remained  here  until  midnight,  when  we  were  relieved 
by  troops  of  the  twelfth  corps,  who  had  left  these  works  to  sup 
port  General  Sickles'  corps  against  Longstreet's  attack  and  now 
returned.  We  then  marched  back  to  our  own  breastworks  on 
Gulp's  Hill. 

During  the  whole  day  of  July  3rd,  we  occupied  our  intrench- 
ments  on  Gulp's  Hill.  They  seemed  a  coign  of  vantage.  We 
had  the  zip  of  the  sharpshooter's  bullet,  the  "where  is  you"  of 
cannon  shot,  the  ringing  whistle  of  the  ragged  fragments  of 
bursting  shell,  all  around  us.  At  some  hours  of  the  day, 
especially  during  the  great  cannonade  preceding  Pickett's  charge, 
the  air  seemed  full  of  missiles  fired  by  the  enemy.  But  no  man 
was  touched,  and  we  were  devoutly  thankful  that  such  immunity 
was  granted  us.* 

This  letter  from  Colonel  J.  M.  Stone,  then,  and  at  the  present 
time,  Governor  of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  was  in  reply  to  my 
letter  asking  for  some  recollections  of  our  meeting  at  Gettysburg. 

STATE  OF  MISSISSIPPI,  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT,  ) 
JACKSON,  JUNE  4th,  1876.      j 
COLONEL  R.  R.  DAWES,  MARIETTA,  OHIO. 

"My  Dear  Sir: — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt 
of  your  esteemed  letter  of  the  ist  inst.  and  I  thank  you  for  the 

*For  casualties  Army  of  Potomac  see  Page  112,  Volume  XXVII,  Part  I, 
War  Eecords. 


183 

complimentary  mention  of  the  officers  and  men  composing  the- 
second  regiment  of  Mississippi  Volunteers,  which  regiment  I  had 
the  honor  to  command  during  the  late  war.  I  have  a  distinct, 
but  sad  recollection  of  the  events  of  July  ist,  1863,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Gettysburg.  In  consequence  of  a  wound  received  a 
few  minutes  prior  to  the  final  issue,  I  did  not  have  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  you  and  your  gallant  men  in  the  railroad  cut.  The  loss 
of  my  regiment  in  that  terrible  conflict  (if  my  memory  serves 
me  correctly)  was  one  hundred  and  eighty-two  killed  and 
wounded.  I  have  frequently  heard  Major  Blair  (afterward  Lieu 
tenant  Colonel)  and  other  officers  and  soldiers  of  my  regiment, 
speak  in  the  highest  terms  of  yourself  and  the  officers  and  men 
of  the  sixth  Wisconsin.  I  remember  well  the  fight  in  the  corn 
field  in  front  of  the  church  at  Antietam,  (Sharpsburg.)  I 
was  in  command,  was  twice  wounded,  but  not  disabled,  and 
remained  and  commanded  until  the  battle  ended. 

You  can  communicate  with  Colonel  John  A.  Blair,  at  Tupelo, 
Lee  County,  Mississippi.  He  will  doubtless  be  much  pleased  to 
hear  from  you.  With  assurances  of  my  highest  regard,  and  sin 
cere  desire  for  mutual  and  perpetual  good  feeling  and  friendly 
relations,  I  am  very  respectfully  yours,  J.  M.  STONE. 

Official  reports  describing  the  action  of  the  sixth  Wisconsin  in  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg  may  be  found  as  follows,  in  Volume  XXV1J,  Part  I,  War 
Records : 

General  Abner  Doubleday,  Pages 243  to  257 

General  James  S.  Wadsworth,  Page 266 

Lieutenant  Colonel  Rufus  R.  Dawes,  Pages 275  to  278 

References    to    the    sixth   Wisconsin    will    be    found  in  Reports  of 

General  Lysander  Cutler,  Page 283 

Colonel  Edward  B.  Fowler,  Page 286 

Major  Edward  Pye,  Page   287 

General  John  W.  Geary,  Page 827 

General  George  S.  Greene,  Page 856 

Captain  Lewis  R.  Stegman,  Page 865 

Confederate  Reports,  Volume  XXVII,  Part  II,  War  Records: 

General  Joseph  R.  Davis,  Page 648 

Major  General  Henry  Heth,  page 637 

Lieutenant  General  A.  P.  Hill,  Page 606 

Reports  of  the  commanders  of  the  other  regiments  of  the  "Iron^Brigade" 
may  be  found  in  same  volume  : 

Colonel  Henry  A.  Morrow,  Page 267 

Major  John  Mansfield,  Page 273 

Colonel  W.  W.  Robinson,  Page 278 


184 


CASUALTIES  IN  THE  BATTLE  OF  GETTYSBURG. 


Killed 

Woun 
ded. 

Miss 
ing. 

Aggregate. 

Officers. 

d 

& 

Officers. 

1 

Officers. 

§ 

Brig  Corn  Staff                        :  

2 
2 

1 
8 

13 

28 
25 
27 
25 
46 

151 

2 

7 
10 
11 
23 

14 

67 

109 
144 
98 
111 
206 

668 

5 

1 
4 
3 

13 

23 
47 
42 
57 

84 

253 

2 
169 
233 
179 
221 
361 

1165 

Sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers      .    .         

Second.  \Visconsin  Volunteers          

Seventh  Wisconsin  Volunteers                   

Nineteenth  Indiana  Volunteers            ...      

Twenty-fourth  Michigan  Volunteers  

Total... 

IX. 

Pursuit  of  'the  Enemy— The  Pride  of  Victory— William&port— A. 
Little .  Rest— On  to  Virginia  -Provost  Duty  at  MiddleJburg—Too 
Much  \Vhislfy-To  Warrenton  Junction— Echoes  of  the  M organ 
Raid— To  Beverly  Ford— The  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-Seventh 
Pennsylvania  Refuses  to  March— The  old  and  new  Colors— 
Letter  From  one  of  Sherman's  men — South  of  the  Rappahannock 
— I  Command  an  Outpost — Mini*  .Argrues  the  Case — Refused  a 
Leave  of  Absence — Conscripts  and  Bounty  ^Jumpers — "Iron 
Brigade"  Flag — .At  Culpepper — I  Make  a  Friendly  Call  on  the 
Enemy — Ordnance  Returns — To  the  Rapidan — Picket  Duty. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  BIVOUAC  NEAR  BOONESBORO,  MD.,  ) 

JULY  gth,  1863.      j 

"Until  we  get  our  wagon  train  I  am  reduced  to  the  extremity  of 
writing  with  a  pencil.  Our  pursuit  of  the  retreating  enemy  has 
been  rapid.  We  have  marched  night  and  day  and  we  have 
beaten  the  rebel  army.  At  last  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  has 
done  what,  well-handled,  it  might  have  done  long  ago,  out 
marched,  out-maneuvered  and  defeated  the  great  rebel  army  of 
General  Lee.  Our  men  have  toiled  and  suffered  as  never  before. 
Almost  half  of  our  men  have  marched  barefooted  for  a  week. 
Such  energy  as  is  now  exhibited  would  have  crushed  the  rebel 
lion  long  ago.  Colonel  Bragg  came  back  to  us  last  night.  I  do 
not  think  he  can  endure  the  hot  sun,  as  he  is  still  sick.  This 
battle  service  has  always  made  me  sick,  but  I  think  I  will  get 
through  this  time.  You  can  hardly  know  the  strain  of  such 
days  as  those  three  at  Gettysburg.  We  have  had  severe  rains 
since  the  battle.  I  have  not  slept  in  a  dry  blanket  or  had  on  dry 
clothing  since  crossing  the  Potomac  before  the  battle.  If  we  can 
end  this  war  right  here,  I  will  cheerfully  abide  the  terrible  risk 
of  another  battle,  and  certainly  personal  discomforts  are  small 
comparatively.  I  feel  very  hopeful  now,  and  prouder  than  I  can 
tell  you  that  the  old  army  has  vindicated  itself.  I  hope  the 
Quartermaster  will  be  up  to-night  with  my  valise,  so  I  will  not  be 
obliged  to  write  with  a  pencil." 

Owing  to  the  great  necessity  for  medical  attendance  upon  the 


186 

wounded  at  Gettysburg,  our  three  surgeons,  who  were  all  expe 
rienced  and  skillful  operators,  were  kept  at  Gettysburg.  A  young 
civilian  doctor,  whose  name  I  have  lost,  was  sent  to  attend  our 
regiment  upon  this  march.  He  was  provided  with  no  horse  or 
equipment,  and  I  was  obliged  to  share  mine  with  him. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NEAR  SOUTH  MOUNTAIN,  ) 

JULY  9th,  1863.      j 

"I  wrote  you  an  illegible  letter  this  morning  with  a  pencil,  and 
sent  it  in  a  rebel  envelope.  We  are  again  near  the  rebel  army, 
and  unless  they  'escape'  over  the  river,  we  may  expect  a  battle. 
Last  night  a  shell  burst  within  half  a  mile  of  us.  Our  army  is 
worn  out  with  toil  and  suffering,  and  looks  hopefully  for  a  season 
of  rest  after  the  enemy  is  driven  from  our  soil.  General  Meade 
has  shown  himself  equal  to  the  emergency.  We  have  had  as  yet 
no  opportunity  to  make  reports  of  the  battle,  or  to  do  anything 
but  march,  and  I  presume  we  will  not  until  Lee's  army  is  de 
stroyed  or  beyond  the  Potomac.  The  only  paper  I  have  seen 
since  the  battle  is  a  Baltimore  Clipper.  The  second  Wisconsin 
regiment  can  not  muster  fifty  muskets.  Still  this  little  represen 
tative  remnant  has  been  with  the  advance  since  the  battle,  and 
will  probably  open  the  next  fight  as  it  did  the  last.  One  thing 
will  appear,  that  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  saved  Pennsylvania 
and  the  North.  Not  one  shot  was  fired  at  Gettysburg  by  the 
Pennsylvania  militia." 

WILLIAMSPORT. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  LINE  OF  BATTLE  NEAR  FUNKSTOWN,  MD., 

JULY  nth,  1863. 

'  'To-day  we  have  expected  a  battle,  but  the  sun  is  now  twenty 
degrees  above  the  highest  summit  of  South  Mountain,  and  not  so 
much  as  a  musket  shot  has  broken  the  stillness.  Perhaps  the 
rebels  have  crossed  over  the  river  but  that  is  not  likely." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)       LINE  OF  BATTLE  NEAR  HAGERSTOWN,  ) 

JULY  1 2th,  1863.      j 

"We  are  again  confronting  the  rebel  army  which  is  strongly 
entrenched  in  position  near  the  Potomac  river  and  another  deadly 
struggle  seems  certain.  I  can  not  write  more  than  that.  I  am 
to-night,  alive  and  well,  and  have  received  all  of  your  letters  up 


187 

to  July  fourth.     This   battle   must   end   our   campaign  for  the 

present." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)        NEAR  HAGERSTOWN,  JULY  i4th,  1863. 

"*I  wrote  the  last  note  in  full  expectation  of  having  soon  to 
charge  on  the  enemy's  entrenchments.  No  pleasant  prospect  to 
one  who  saw  the  awfully  murderous  repulse  of  the  rebel 
charging  columns  at  Gettysburg.  All  day  yesterday,  we  lay 
quietly  roasting  in  the  hot  sun  and  this  morning  the  rebel  army 
has  retreated  across  the  river.  We  may  now  reasonably  hope 
for  rest.  The  incessant  and  toilsome  marching  from  Fredericks- 
burgh  to  Gettysburg,  the  terrible  battle,  and  the  hurried  pursuit 
of  the  enemy  to  this  point  has  been  the  most  trying  campaign  of 
this  army.  Our  men  have  become  ragged  and  shoeless,  thousands 
have  marched  for  days  barefooted  over  the  flinty  turnpikes. 
The  army  has  shown  a  willingness  and  alacrity  under  its  toils, 
sufferings  and  privations,  that  entitle  it  to  the  gratitude  of  the 
Nation  and  I  think  for  once  it  will  receive  it." 

There  has  been  discussion  upon  the  question  whether  General 
Meade  should  have  attacked  the  rebel  army  in  its  position  near 
Williamsport,  Maryland,  on  the  thirteenth  of  July.  It  is  my 
belief  that  our  army  would  have  been  repulsed  if  they  had  at 
tacked  the  enemy  in  this  entrenched  position.  Our  later  expe 
riences  at  Spottsylvania  and  at". Cold  Harbor,  and  in  many  other 
unsuccessful  assaults  is  a  sufficient  indication  of  the  fact. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)         CAMP  NEAR  KNOXVILLE,  MARYLAND,  ) 

JULY  1 6th,  1863.      j 

"We  have  one  day  of  rest.  I  have  had  to  use  all  kinds  of 
schemes  to  get  my  letters  to  the  mail,  sometimes  leaving  them 
with  citizens  or  dropping  them  in  village  post  offices  or  sending 
them  by  newspaper  boys.  The  State  of  Wisconsin  has  at  last 
furnished  us  with  a  beautiful  stand  of  colors  upon  which  our 
battles  are  inscribed  :  'Rappahannock,  Gainesville,  Bull  Run,  South 
Mountain,  Antietam,  Fredericksburgh,  Fitz  Hughs  Crossing,  Chan 
cellor  sville,  Gettysburg,'  and  who  can  tell  what  more  is  in  store 
for  this  shattered  little  fragment  of  veteran  heroes  before  next 

*July  13th  to  15th  1863,  occurred  the  terrible  draft  riots  in  New  York 
City. 


188 

July,  when  our  term  of  service  will  expire.  Five  hundred  and 
seventy-five  men  have  been  killed  or  wounded  in  these  battles  and 
I  have  been  through  them  all  with  scarcely  a  scratch.  We  are 
stopping  here  a  few  days  to  get  new  clothing  and  shoes  and  to 
refit  the  troops  for  another  campaign  in  Virginia.  The  pros 
pects  are  brightening.  The  opening  of  the  Mississippi  river 
is  the  grand  success  of  the  war. 

We  have  never  been  so  pressed  for  time.  Accounts,  returns, 
muster-rolls,  correspondence,  everything  was  given  up  to  driving 
the  enemy  from  Pennsylvania.  I  have  just  signed  our  muster- 
rolls  for  the  muster  of  July  ist.  (This  refers  to  the  muster  for 
pay  made  on  June  3oth  at  Marsh  Creek  just  before  engaging  in 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg).  By  our  losses  at  Gettysburg  and  in 
other  battles,  our  regiment  is  reduced  below  the  minimum  re 
quired  by  law.  Under  the  present  policy  of  the  War  Depart 
ment,  this  regiment  is  not  entitled  to  a  Colonel.  Encouraging,  is 
it  not?  The  more  desperate  the  risks  of  the  Lieutenant  Colonel 
who  commands  in  battle,  and  the  greater  the  loss  of  his 
regiment,  the  less  his  chance  for  promotion.  The  Governor 
would  commission  a  Colonel  in  case  of  a  vacancy,  but  the  United 
States  mustering  officer  can  not  now  muster  in  a  Colonel  for  our 
regiment." 

This  cutting  off  of  the  Lieutenant  Colonels  and  Majors  of  the 
old  battle  regiments  from  promotion,  was  a  gross  blunder  in  our 
war  policy.  It  was  done  on  the  theory  of  economy. 
Colonels  came  too  high.  It  would  have  been  better  to 
cut  off  the  appointment  of  a  Major,  leaving  always  before  the 
field  officer,  the  avenue  to  promotion.  An  honorable  promotion 
as  a  reward  and  recognition  of  perilous  service,  is  an  inestimable 
prize  to  a  true  soldier.  The  right  policy  was  pursued  with  line 
officers  in  the  companies.  When  a  company  became  reduced 
below  the  minimum,  the  second  lieutenant  was  cut  off  and  not 
the  captain.  This  "blunder"  was  far-reaching  in  its  damaging 
effect  upon  the  spirits  and  efficiency  of  our  volunteer  army. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  BIVOUAC  NEAR  WATKRFORD,  ) 

LOUDON  COUNTY,  VA.,  JULY  i8th,  1863.      j 
"We  crossed   the  Potomac  river  at   Berlin  this  morning  and 
came  here.     We  may  have  some  hard  marching  to  end  up  with 


another  battle,  but  let  us  hope  that  the  glorious  result  to  which 
events  are  now  pointing  so  plainly,  may  be  attained  without  the 
battle.  Colonel  Bragg  has  gone  home  sick.  It  looks  as  though 
the  subscriber  would  command  the  Sixth  regiment  for  some  time. 
I  fear  we  shall  suffer  again  from  heat  and  dust,  but  we  are 
moving  leisurely  now." 

MIDDLEBURG,  VIRGINIA,  JULY  2ist,  1863. 

"Almost  for  the  first  time  since  coming  into  the  army,  I  have 
my  headquarters  in  a  house.  I  am  King  of  this  pretty  little 
village  while  we  stay.  My  regiment  is  doing  provost  duty. 
Are  not  you  glad  I  have  the  boys  living  on  the  aristocratic  rebels 
of  Middleburg  ?  The  people  board  the  men  wherever  they  are 
sent  to  guard  their  property.  The  boys  are  living  high  and  they 
are  kindly  treated.  I  had  a  talk  with  a  lady  this  morning,  and 
she  was  a  refined  and  gentle  woman.  She  had  lost  a  son,  and 
her  nephew  had  been  killed  in  the  war.  She  had  lost  'all  she 
had  to  live  for.'  You  can  not  imagine  how  bitterly  she  expressed 
herself  against  the  North  and  our  army.  She  made  no  com 
plaint  of  our  men  who,  she  said,  did  their  duty  faithfully  and 
kindly.  'I  believe,'  she  said,  'God's  blessing  will  rest  upon  our 
soldiers  if  they  take  ruin  and  desolation  to  every  hearthstone  of 
the  North,  for  their  wickedness  has  merited  such  punishment.' 
She  confessed  freely  their  own  waning  fortunes,  but  had  'faith 
that  a  just  and  terrible  vengeance  would  yet  come  on  the  North.' 
Poor  old  Virginia,  she  is  bitterly  reaping  her  reward.  Nothing 
more  plainly  foreshadows  the  bursting  of  the  rebel  bubble,  than 
this  despair  of  the  first  families  of  Virginia." 

I  regret  that  the  name  of  this  lady  is  not  preserved.  I  had 
received  a  communication  from  corps  headquarters  that  Mosby's 
men  had  been  in  Middleburg,  and  I  was  directed  to  put  a  stop 
to  their  being  harbored  and  concealed  by  the  people.  There 
were  none  but  women  in  the  town.  I  was  told  to  see  this  lady, 
as  she  was  the  most  influential  person  in  the  town,  and  to  notify  her 
that  if  there  were  further  causes  for  complaint,  the  guards  would 
be  removed  from  their  property.  She  promised  me  she  would 
try  to  control  the  young  women  in  the  matter,  and  put  a  stop  to  it. 

"General  Cutler  now  commands  our  division  and  General  John 
Newton  commands  our  first  corps. 


190 

I  have  been  sitting  this  morning  as  a  member  of  a  special 
court  martial,  and  all  the  forenoon  we  wise  doctors  have  been 
wrangling  over  the  law  and  the  testimony.  I  have  to  go  back  in 
a  few  minutes.  We  are  selected  for  a  dignified  and  able  court. 
We  have  one  Brigadier  General,  four  Colonels,  and  two  Lieu 
tenant  Colonels.  We  are  trying  Colonel . 

L,ater — I  will  try  to  finish  my  letter  though  it  is  quite  late  and 
we  are  to  march  at  daylight.  My  head  is  full  of  hearsay  evi 
dence,  competency,  relevancy  and  so  forth,  for  we  have  a  fear 
fully  technical  court.  General  H.  S.  Briggs  of  Massachusetts,  is 
our  President.  Colonel  Bates  of  the  twelfth  Massachusetts  is 
the  brightest  man  on  the  court.  He  occasionally  makes  sad 

work  with  technical  points.  The  prosecution  of is  a  silly 

farce." 

The  Colonel,  who  was  on  trial,  was  a  gallant,  faithful,  and 
capable  officer.  His  regiment  was  first  in  the  order  of  march 
one  morning,  but  the  Colonel  overslept,  and  his  regiment  was  not 
ready  to  move  at  the  designated  hour.  In  consequence  of  this 
the  troops  were  delayed  for  a  short  time.  For  this  somewhat 
trivial  offense,  charges  were  preferred  against  him.  He  was 
punished  by  a  nominal  censure. 

At  this  time,  whisky  was  too  freely  issued  to  the  troops  under 
the  term  "rations."  The  effect  was  very  bad,  and  I  published  an 
order  forbidding  the  issue  of  liquor  to  the  regiment,  except  with 
quinine.  Hence  arose  a  song  composed  in  imitation  of  the  Sur 
geon's  sick  call  on  the  drum,  the  burden  of  which  was :  "Come, 
Come,  Come,  Come  and  get  your  quinine  ! "  When  some  of  our 
"soakers"  were  seen  going  to  sick  call,  this  chorus  would  break 
out.  General  John  Newton,  our  corps  commander,  said,  as  I  was 
alone  of  regimental  commanders  in  making  such  an  order,  I 
could  not  sustain  it.  He  was  mistaken.  It  enforced  itself. 

's  trial  grew  out  of  an  excessive  ration  of  whisky.  The 

Colonel  was  drunk  on  Government  whisky,  as  were  most  of  his 
men  and  officers.  Whisky  as  a  stimulant  to  wet,  weary  and  tired 
soldiers  did  not  compare  with  hot  coffee.  After  whisky,  the  men 
being  overstimulated,  were  wakeful  and  noisy,  and  lost  their 
rest.  After  coffee  they  went  at  once  to  sleep.  Sleep,  tired  na 
ture's  sweet  restorer,  was  the  thing  needful. 


191 

(Better  to  M.  B.  G.)  WARRENTON,  VA.,  JULY  23rd,  1863. 

"We  marched  yesterday  from    Middleburg  to   White  Plains, 
and  to-day  we  came  here,  where  I  think  we  will  remain  a  day  or 
two  for  supplies." 
(Letter.)  WARRENTON  JUNCTION,  JULY  25th,  1863. 

"Yesterday  I  was  ordered  down  the  Culpepper  turnpike  to 
support  a  battery,  and  to  construct  defenses  with  abattis,  and 
to-day  was  spent  marching  to  this  point.  We  are  in  a  terrible 
place  here.  The  water  is  undrinkable,  and  wood  is  very  scarce. 
I  hope  our  sojourn  will  be  short.  What  a  calamity  to  a  country 
to  even  have  an  army  camp  in  it !  The  beautiful  country  about 
the  village  of  Warrenton,  without  fences,  without  crops,  without 
even  garden  enclosures,  is  little  better  than  a  desert.  There  are 
few  more  pleasantly  situated  villages  in  the  land.  It  is  the  home 
of  Virginia  aristocracy,  but  you  see  literally  nothing  but  black 
veils  and  mourning  dresses.  We  heard  last  night  the  familiar 
boom  of  cannon,  the  first  since  crossing  the  river.  I  do  not 
know  what  it  was. 

We  have  just  got  to-day's  newspaper,  which  is  the  first  one  we 
have  had  for  a  week.  So  you  have  had  John  Morgan  near  you, 
if  not  in  Marietta.  (Morgan's  raid  in  Ohio.)  I  shall  feel  anxious 
for  particulars.  Did  you  run?  Did  you  see  any  of  the  rebels? 
It  is  coming  home  to  have  rebels  all  around  Marietta.  But  if 
they  were,  as  reported,  at  Chester,  they  must  have  gone  very 
near  Marietta.  How  did  your  brave  men  bear  themselves? 
Better,  I  hope,  than  the  Pennsylvania  militia.  I  would  like  the 
'Iron  Brigade,'  for  a  short  time  in  front  of  Morgan's  ragamuffins." 

Of  the  Morgan  Raid  in  Ohio,  my  correspondent,  M.  B.  G., 
wrote  me  that  ten  thousand  of  the  Ohio  emergency  Militia  were 
encamped  at  a  ford  on  the  Ohio  river,  eight  miles  below  Marietta. 
They  were  on  the  great  farm  of  William  P.  Cutler.  This  force 
was  mainly  without  guns.  She  named  two  very  prominent 
citizens  who  had  patriotically  joined  the  militia  to  repel  Morgan. 
These  gentlemen  had  guns,  and  they  marched  arm  in  arm  under 
the  same  umbrella,  paying  a  darky  to  carry  their  muskets.  After 
accomplishing  the  eight  miles,  they  were  so  hot  and  tired  that 
they  declared  they  would  not  run  if  the  whole  Southern  Con 
federacy  came  against  them.  They  would  contract  with  the 


192 

darky  to  save    their    muskets,  and  themselves  surrender.     She 
described  how  Mr.  Cutler  found  sleeping  in  his  hay  mow,  the 
man  who  had  beaten  him  for  Congress. 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)   WARRENTON  JUNCTION,  JULY  2yth,  1863. 

"The  army  is  now  lying  in  this  vicinity  getting  supplies  and 
clothing,  and  recruiting  its  energies,  preparatory  for  future  cam 
paigning.  We  are  in  a  bad  place  for  water  and  wood.  I  do  not 
want  to  fight,  but  I  hope  to  get  out  of  this  desolate  land. 

General  Meade  did  wisely  in  not  attacking  General  Lee  in  his 
entrenched  position  at  Williamsport,  and  I  am  impudent  enough 
to  say  my  opinion  is  worth  more  on  this  point  than  any  man's 
who  is  as  far  away  as  Marietta.*  I  examined  the  rebel  fortifica 
tions  at  Williamsport,  which  were  strong  and  well-constructed, 
and  I  think  General  Meade  would  have  certainly  failed  to  carry 
them  by  direct  assault.  Both  flanks  of  the  works  were  on  the 
Potomac  river.  We  had  no  other  alternative  than  direct  assault. 
I  take  no  stock  in  the  stuff  printed  in  the  newspapers  about  the 
demoralization  of  the  rebel  army  after  Gettysburg.  They  were 
worn  out  and  tired  as  we  were,  but  their  cartridge  boxes  had 
plenty  of  ammunition,  and  they  would  have  quietly  lain  in  their 
rifle  pits  and  shot  us  down  with  the  same  coolness  and  despera 
tion  they  showed  at  Gettysburg. 

So  you  have  really  had  a  speck  of  war  at  Marietta.  I  hope 
Charley f  will  not  bivouac  many  nights,  and  that  he  will  keep  out 
of  the  skirmishing  with  the  rebels. 

I  think  the  New  York  riot  is  in  some  respects  a  fortunate 
thing.  It  settles  Vallandigham  in  Ohio,  and  teaches  more 
clearly  than  words  the  propriety  of  muzzling  the  Woods  and 
Seymours.  The  suspension  of  the  draft,  though  a  cowardly 
policy,  was  consistent  as  a  military  necessity.  The  country 
would  have  been  in  a  fix  if  General  Lee  had  defeated  our  army 
at  Gettysburg.  That  is  clear  now  is  it  not?  " 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  WARRENTON  JUNCTION,  JULY  29th,  1863. 

"  Morgan  came  nearer  than  you  expected.     I  am  glad  he  is 

*0n  Page  935,  Volume  XXVII,  Part  II,  War  Eecords,  may  be  found 
some  of  this  talk  by  a  smart  aleck,  who  writes  to  Win.  H.  Seward. 

tCharles  B.  Gates,  her  brother,  then  a  young  student  in  Marietta  College. 
He  went  out  to  resist  Morgan. 


MAJ.  GEN".  CEO.  G,  MEADE . 


193 

captured.  Ohio  is  not  a  shell,  as  General  Grierson  found  Missis 
sippi,  and  'carrying  desolation  to  northern  hearthstones, 'is serious 
business. 

We  are  now  clothing  our  men  and  recruiting  generally,  from 
the  effects  of  our  hard  campaign.  What  absurd  talk  there  is  in 
the  papers  about  General  Lee's  'escape'  from  Williarnsport." 

(Letter to M.  E.G.)    WARRENTON  JUNCTION,  JULY  3oth,  1863. 

"I  do  not  believe  there  is  in  Virginia,  any  such  place  as 
'Endorville.'  If  there  is,  General  Lee  has  certainly  'escaped' 
from  it.  General  H.  S.  Briggs,  of  Massachusetts,  is  to  command 
our  division.  He  was  President  of  our  court  martial  at  Middle- 
burg,  and  I  feel  well  acquainted  with  him. 

I  am  President  of  the  General  Court  Martial,  which  holds  its 
sessions  at  division  headquarters.  Colonel  Bragg  is  at  home 
sick.  He  could  not  endure  the  hot  sun.  No  leaves  of  absence  are 

now   granted,   except   for   sickness.     made  a   piteous 

appeal.  His  hard  earned  property  was  going  to  ruin.  His 
wife  was  sick.  His  children  had  the  measles,  and  the  dog  was 
not  well,  but  notwithstanding  all  these  troubles,  his  application 
was  'unfavorably  considered'  at  army  headquarters. 

Our  division  is  now  doing  the  picket  duty  for  the  corps.  The 
two  other  divisions  are  guarding  the  Orange  and  Alexandria  R.  R. 
There  is  no  appearance  of  any  purpose  on  the  part  of  Meade 
to  attack  the  enemy.  Four  old  regiments  just  passed  here  on 
their  way  to  New  York  to  enforce  the  draft.  Many  officers  and 
men  are  being  sent  from  the  army  to  take  charge  of 'conscripts. 
So  far  as  I  know,  no  considerable  re-inforcements  have  been  sent 
to  this  army  since  crossing  into  Virginia,  and  we  are  still  losing 
nine-months  volunteers  by  reason  ot  expiration  of  their  service." 

One  day  about  this  time,  I  was  away  attending  court  martial 
when  our  division  marched,  and,  as  I  galloped  after  them,  I  was 
doubtful  whether  I  was  on  the  right  road.  I  asked  a  woman  if 
any  troops  had  passed.  Raising  both  hands  she  replied:  "Yes 
sir,  millions  and  millions  of  them !" 

BEVERLY  FORD,  RAPPAHANNOCK  RIVER,  ) 
AUGUST  ist,  1863.     j 

"We  are  near  the  railroad  crossing.  We  marched  to-day  from 
Warrenton  Junction,  twelve  miles.  It  was  very  hot  and  men 


194 

were  sun-struck  in  the  column.  *There  is  artillery  firing  and 
musketry  this  evening  near  Brandy  Station,  I  think.  The  one 
hundred  and  sixty-seventh  Pennsylvania,  a  regiment  of  men  who 
were  drafted  for  nine  months  service,  and  who  claimed  their  time 
had  expired,  refused  to  march  this  morning.  They  are  attached 
to  our  brigade  and  there  are  about  eight  hundred  men  in  their 
ranks.  The  second,  sixth,  and  seventh  Wisconsin  were  drawn 
up  in  front  of  them  with  loaded  muskets  and  the  commands 
"Ready  !  aim !  "  were  given  by  General  Cutler  before  they  would 
'fall  in.'  Upon  that  incentive  however,  they  fell  in  with  great 
alacrity.  General  Cutler  himself  gave  these  commands,  and  I 
should  have  felt  badly  all  my  life  to  have  had  him  order  'Fire.' 
But  by  showing  the  men  he  would  order  it,  the  necessity  was 
obviated.  I  was  directed  to  march  my  regiment  behind  the  one 
hundred  and  sixty-seventh  Pennsylvania,  and  had  orders  to  shoot 
any  man  who  fell  out  of  the  ranks,  which  I  did  not  do,  but  I 
kept  a  company  deployed  behind  them,  who  drove  them  up  when 
they  lagged."t 

"The  State  of  Wisconsin  has  sent  us  a  fine  stand  of  colors 
which  will,  I  understand,  be  here  to-morrow.  I  wish  I  could 
keep  our  old  color  lance,  which  has  three  bullet  holes  through  it, 
and  two  other  marks.  Think  of  that  slender  stick  struck  five 
times.  It  is  dark,  but  still  the  sullen  boom  of  rebel  cannon  goes 
on  beyond  the  river." 

This  color  staff  is  preserved  in  the  flag  room  at  the  Capitol  of 
Wisconsin.  Five  distinct  bullet  marks  can  be  seen.  There  is 
probably  not  another  color  lance  in  the  United  States  that  equals 
it  in  the  number  of  its  battle  scars.  It  is  a  National  color. 


*0n  August  first,  Brigadier  General  John  Buford,  with  a  division  of  cav 
alry,  advanced  from  Rappahannock  Station,  and  drove  the  enemy's  cavalry 
to  the  vicinity  of  Culpepper  C.  H.,  where  he  encountered  infantry  and 
was  obliged  to  retire.  This  was  the  cause  of  the  firing  we  heard. 

tThe  question  with  the  men  of  this  regiment  was  whether  they  were 
legally  held  for  nine  months  from  the  time  that  each  individual  was  taken 
into  the  service  or  nine  months  from  the  date  on  which  the  regiment  was 
mustered  into  the  service  as  an  organization.  It  made  a  difference  of 
about  two  weeks  time,  upon  the  average.  It  was  said  that  the  officers  of 
the  regiment  were  themselves  conscripts,  who  had  been  elected  to  their 
positions  by  the  men  of  the  regiment,  and  it  was  suspected  that  they  en 
couraged  the  men  in  refusing  to  march. 


195 
BIVOUAC  SOUTH  OF  THE  RAPPAHANNOCK,  } 

AUGUST  3rd,  1863.     j 

"Yesterday  morning  we  moved  in  great  haste  from  Beverly 
Ford,  and  crossed  the  river  on  pontoons  at  the  railroad  station. 
We  went  into  line  of  battle  stretching  along  in  front  of  the  rail 
road  crossing.  I  do  not  know  but  that  yesterday  was  the  hottest 
day  I  ever  experienced.  The  troops  suffered  very  much,  although 
the  march  was  not  long.  Thinking  that  we  would  remain  at 
Beverly  Ford,  I  took  great  pains  in  arranging  the  regimental 
camp,  and  the  men  were  nicely  fixed.  Dr.  Hall  is  still  at  Gettys 
burg  attending  the  wounded  of  the  Dattle." 

L,INE  OF  BATTLE  SOUTH  OF  THE  RAPPAHANNOCK,  ) 

AUGUST  5th,  1863.     j 

"*We  got  ready  for  battle  yesterday.  Pack  mules  were  hustled 
back  over  the  river  to  the  rear,  stretchers  were  brought  up,  and 
field  hospitals  established.  The  enemy  attacked  our  cavalry  in 
front,  but  were  driven  back.  It  was  only  a  reconnoissance  in 
force.  Meanwhile  a  heavy  rain  came  on,  drenching  us  suffering 
heroes  to  the  skin.  I  got  my  wedge  tent  up  to  the  front  before 
night,  and,  appropriating  a  stretcher  for  a  bed,  I  made  myself 
quite  comfortable.  We  sent  away  our  old  flag  yesterday,  and 
were  sorry  to  see  it  go.  The  new  one  is  a  very  handsome  silk 
color,  (National  color)  and  it  has  all  of  our  engagements  in 
scribed  upon  it,  except  Fitz  Hugh's  Crossing.  I  enclose  a  copy 
of  my  letter  which  accompanied  the  flag." 

HEADQUARTERS  SIXTH  REGIMENT  WISCONSIN  VOLUNTEERS,  ) 

AUGUST  4TH,  1863.     j 
W.  Y.  Selleck, Military  Agent  for  the  State  of  Wisconsin  : 

SIR — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  at  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Taylor,  the  receipt  of  the  National  color,  with  the  names  of  our 
battles  inscribed  upon  it,  provided  by  the  State  of  Wisconsin  for 
this  regiment.  I  send  to  you  herewith  for  transmission  to  the 
Governor  our  old  color.  It  can  no  longer  be  unfurled  and  five 
bullets  have  pierced  the  staff.  Its  tattered  folds  and  splintered 
staff  bear  witness  more  eloquently  than  words  to  the  conduct  of 
the  men  who  have  rallied  around  it  from  Gainesville  to  Gettys- 


*See  Page  22,  Volume  XXIX,  Part  II,  War  Records,  for  reports  of  this 
affair. 


196 

burg.  We  send  it  to  the  people  of  Wisconsin,  knowing  what 
they  expect  of  us,  and  we  promise  that  the  past  shall  be  an  earnest 
of  the  future,  under  the  beautiful  standard  they  have  sent  us. 

Very  respectfully,  R.  R.  DAWKS, 

lieutenant  Colonel  commanding  sixth  Wisconsin  volunteers. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  AUGUST  5th,  1863. 

"We  are  still  south  of  the  river.  Our  cavalry  pickets  in  front 
were  attacked  by  the  enemy  yesterday.  There  was  not  much  of 
a  skirmish  and  the  rebels  soon  retired.  We  (the  infantry)  were 
not  engaged  but  I  formed  my  command  for  action. 

Dr.  Hall  came  back  yesterday.  He  has  been  at  Gettysburg 
ever  since  the  battle  attendi  ng  the  wounded,  of  whom  there  were 
thousands.  Dr.  Preston  still  remains  at  Gettysburg  in  this  employ 
ment.  General  Meade  is  not  worshiped  but  he  is  highly  respected. 
His  judicious  and  vigorous  handling  of  the  troops  at  Gettysburg 
and  his  pursuit  after  the  battle  have  inspired  confidence,  which  is 
not  lessened  by  his  proper  caution  at  Williamsport.  The  army 
is  not  so  fierce  to  attack  the  enemy  in  entrenchments  as  news 
papers  represent  it  to  be. 

I  am  glad  Dr.  Hall  is  back,  as  it  has  been  dull  with  so  many 
of  our  officers  away  and  he  is  excellent  company." 

In  this  camp  I  received  a  letter  from  my  brother,  who  was  in 
General  William  T.  Sherman's  corps  during  the  Vicksburg  cam 
paign.  He  was  now  in  pursuit  of  General  Joseph  K.  Johnston. 
It  will  be  seen  that  we  did  not  have  an  entire  monopoly  of  hard 
campaigning  : 

MESSENGER'S  FORD  (BLACK  RIVER)  Miss., ) 

JULY  27th,  1863.      j 

"A  little  more  than  a  month  since  we  marched  from  Snyder's 
Bluff,  with  three  days'  rations.  We  staid  at  Oak  Ridge  a  week. 
On  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth  of  July  (the  day  Vicksburg  sur 
rendered)  we  started  after  Johnston's  army.  My  baggage 
for  the  campaign  was  one  shirt  and  two  pocket  handker 
chiefs  carried  in  the  valise  on  my  saddle.  *  *  *  *  The  only 
rations  issued  were  crackers,  coffee  and  salt.  Our  mess  for  three 
weeks  have  lived  on  green  corn,  chickens  and  sweet  potatoes. 
To-day,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  Snyder's  Bluff,  I  have  a 
tent  over  my  head." 


197 

SOUTH  OF  THE  RAPPAHANNOCK,  AUGUST  6th,  1863. 

"We  are  disagreeably  situated  on  this  (south)  side  of  the  river. 
They  will  not  allow  our  wagon  to  come  within  five  miles  of  us. 
I  was  obliged  to  ride  ten  miles  last  night  to  change  my  clothing. 
Whenever  the  rebel  cavalry  comes  in  sight,  our  pack  mules  are 
ordered  back  over  the  bridge  and  we  are  left  destitute.  A  small 
portion  of  our  corps  is  now  the  only  body  of  troops  south  of  the  river. 

This  army  is  not  'anxious  to  get  at  Lee'  until  it  feels  victory 
reasonably  certain,  and  such  a  victory  as  may  close  the  war  and 
crush  the  rebellion.  Then,  as  always  before,  we  will  go  in  not 
eagerly,  as  ferocious  stayers-at-home  say,  but  willingly  and  to 
win.  The  'Iron  Brigade'  has  a  record  beyond  reproach,  and  a 
record  it  will  always  maintain,  but  the  'Iron  Brigade'  does  not 
crave  a  battle.  A  battle  to  veterans  is  an  awful  experience. 
There  is  not  with  our  men  the  headlong  recklessness  of  new  men, 
who  start  in,  acting  as  though  they  would  rather  be  shot  than 
not,  and  then  lose  their  organization  and  scatter  like  sheep,  but 
there  is  a  conviction  from  much  experience  in  fighting,  that 
safety  is  best  had  by  steadiness,  persistence  in  firing,  and  most  of 
all  by  holding  together.  So,  with  the  inducement  of  pride,  duty, 
patriotism  and  personal  preservation,  they  will  stand  together  till 
the  last." 

SOUTH  OF  THE  RAPPAHANNOCK,  AUGUST  8th,  1863. 

''Most  of  the  troops  of  our  division  have  gone  back  into  camp 
north  of  the  river,  but  I  was  placed  in  command  of  three  regi 
ments,  (second  Wisconsin,  twenty-fourth  Michigan  and  sixth 
Wisconsin)  and  Huntington's  battery,  ('H' — first  Ohio)  and  sent 
forward  to  hold  a  position  covering  the  approaches  to  the  rail 
road  bridge.  I  hope  we  will  soon  be  relieved  from  duty  on  this 
side  of  the  river,  so  that  I  can  get  the  regiment  into  camp  and 
have  the  men  clean  up.  It  is  hardly  fair  to  require  us  to  do  all 
the  outpost  duty." 

AUGUST  loth,  1863. 

"There  does  not  seem  to  be  any  prospect  of  getting  relieved 
from  duty  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  I  am  detailed  to  com 
mand  this  outpost.  I  have  three  regiments,  twenty-fourth 
Michigan,  sixth  Wisconsin,  ^fifty-sixth  Pennsylvania,  and  Hunt- 

*This  regiment  had  relieved  the  second  Wisconsin. 


198 

ington's  battery.  I  report  to  General  Cutler.  The  principal 
hardship  is  having  our  wagon  two  miles  away  at  the  brigade 
camp  over  the  river.  We  have  good  water  and  a  good  shade,  and 
that  is  more  than  can  be  found  north  of  the  river.  The  situation 
is  assuming,  the  same  phase  as  last  spring, — that  of  chronic  ap 
prehension  of  an  advance  by  the  enemy.  Their  cavalry  videttes 
are  in  sight.  Since  the  body  of  our  troops  have  crossed  back 
north  of  the  river,  a  dash  upon  us  by  the  enemy  has  been  feared. 
I  have  dug  riflepits  and  selected  a -good  position,  and  I  think  we 
can  hold  out  until  reinforced  from  the  other  side  of  the  river.  I 
believe  I  will  bring  my  headquarters  wagon  up  in  the  night 
and  hide  it  in  the  bushes." 

On  August  twelfth,  the  regiment  was  relieved  and  sent  back 
into  camp. 

My  service  in  command  of  the  important  outpost,  south  of  the 
Rappahannock  seems  to  have  commended  itself  to  General 
Briggs,  our  division  commander,  for  on  August  fifteenth,  he  sent 
me  back  again.*  The  regiment  however,  remained  in  camp 
under  command  of  Major  Hauser.  An  advance  by  the  army  of 
General  I^ee  seems  to  have  been  feared,  and  my  instructions  were 
to  exercise  the  greatest  care  and  vigilance,  and  to  stubbornly 
resist  an  attack  until  supported  from  the  north  side  of  the  river. 

(Letter  M.  B.  G.)  HEADQUARTERS  DEFENSES  SOUTH  OF  RIVER,  ) 

AUGUST  1 6th.     } 

"I  have  settled  upon  my  dispositions  in  case  of  an  attack  and 
feel  easy.  I  have  six  hundred  infantry  in  the  entrenchments  and 
a  battery  of  artillery.  The  troops  are  now  all  under  marching 
orders  and  something  is  in  the  wind.  I  shall  not  be  surprised  if 
General  L,ee  assumes  the  offensive.  I  hardly  dare  write  here 
why  I  think  so,  our  communications  are  so  much  interfered 
with.  I  have  my  headquarters  in  a  house.  There  are  three 


^HEADQUARTERS  FIRST  BRIGADE,  FIRST  DIVISION,  FIRST  ARMY  CORPS,  \ 
SPECIAL  ORDER  No.  126.  AUGUST  15th,  1863.  _   / 

"In  compliance  with  instructions  from  headquarters  first  division,  just 
received,  Lieutenant  Colonel  R.  R.  Dawes,  sixth  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  is 
hereby  detailed  to  take  charge  of  the  troops  on  the  south  side  of  the  Rap 
pahannock  and  he  will  report  at  these  headquarters  without  delay. 

By  command,  W.W.  ROBINSON,  Col.  seventh  Wis.  Vols.  Com'd'g  Brigade. 

J.  D.  WOOD,  Captain  and  A.  A.  G." 


199 

little  astonished  looking  girls  with  their  fingers  in  their  mouths, 

hanging  around  the  table  watching  me  as  I  write." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  AUGUST  i8th,  1863. 

"Just  now  I  am  living  in  a  house  and  have  good  water  to  drink. 
My  tent  back  at  the  regimental  camp  is  in  the  'broiling  sun,'  but 
I  am  too  old  a  soldier  not  to  have  put  up  a  shade  long  ago.  I 
have  had  the  men  dig  a  well  at  the  camp,  about  twenty  feet  deep, 
and  they  now  get  good  water.  This  army  will  not  'advance  soon.' 
Our  Generals  expect  to  be  attacked.  There  now — that  is  more 
than  I  have  any  business  to  write,  to  trust  the  mail  which  Mosby 
may  capture. 

There*  was  an  exodus  from  this  neighborhood  of  children  of 
Ham  (and  they  took  all  the  hams  with  them)  last  night,  to  the 
number  of  about  forty.  'Dey's  g'wine  ter  git  out  dis  yer  place, 
'fore  de  southern  gemman  come.'  This  morning,  for  the  first 
time  in  her  life,  I  presume,  the  old  rebel  lady  of  this  house 
cooked  a  very  poor  breakfast  for  herself  and  the  Yankee  Colonel, 
who  boards  with  her.  I  have  quite  an  independent  command 
over  the  river  here.  There  is  one  Maryland  regiment  who  spend 
most  of  their  time  singing  hymns.  I  found  yesterday  that  some 
of  these  men  had  not  a  single  cartridge  in  their  boxes.  The 
negligence  and  carelessness  of  some  officers  is  marvelous. 

Did  you  get  the  'Iron  Brigade  Quickstep'  which  I  sent  you?" 

The  "Iron  Brigade  Quickstep"  was  a  sheet  of  music.     It  was 
not  worthy  of  its  name  as  it  has  long  since  been  forgotten. 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  AUGUST  22nd,  1863. 

"I  am  still  in  command  south  of  the  river.  We  had  a  false 
alarm  night  before  last.  Since  then  my  garrison  has  been  reinforced 
by  three  hundred  men.  I  want  to  get  back  to  the  regiment,  but 
I  cannot  get  relieved.  I  command  the  only  force  of  the  army 
south  of  the  river.  I  cannot  appreciate  the  policy  of  holding 
the  Rappahannock  line,  if  our  army  does  not  assume  the  offensive. 
The  country  between  us  and  Washington  is  barren,  desolate,  and 
worthless.  The  communications  are  constantly  exposed,  and  the 
line  of  defense  imperfect  and  easily  flanked.  We  should  hardly 
lose  prestige  by  contracting  our  lines  to  Centreville,  as  no  at 
tempt  is  made  in  our  present  position  to  occupy  the  attention  of 
the  enemy.  But  I  suppose — 'nulla  vestigia  retrorsum?  is  the 


200 

motto  of  our  commander.  General  Briggs  left  us  yesterday.  I 
think  likely  that  General  Cutler  will  have  command  of  the 
division.  I  hope  so. 

Later — I  finished  my  letter  at  home  in  camp,  having  been 
relieved  from  duty  over  the  river.  The  old  lady  and  little  girls 
cried  when  I  came  away.  They  said  they  knew  'they  would  lose 
their  chickens,  and  the  soldiers  would  milk  their  cow,  too.'  The 
poor  people  were  grateful  for  the  protection  I  afforded  them. 
They  have  been  plundered  and  robbed  by  both  armies,  until 
starvation  stares  them  in  the  face.  The  weather  continues  very 
hot,  and,  with  the  bad  water  in  this  neighborhood,  it  is  beginning 
to  cause  much  sickness  among  the  troops.  The  old  lady  over 
the  river  fed  me  on  bread  and  milk." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NEAR  RAPPAHANNOCK  STATION, 

AUGUST  23rd,  1863. 

"Every  idea  is  roasted  out  of  my  head  by  the  heat.  The  Doctor 
(J.  C.  Hall)  and  I  had  a  discussion  to-night  on  the  question, — 
whether  the  negro  has  any  love  of  liberty ;  whether  he  desires 
freedom,  or  merely  imagines  more  personal  comfort  in  being  free. 
We  submitted  the  following  test  question  to  William,  to  Moses, 
to  Reuben,  to  Mink,  to  Mat,  and  to  Sam,  all  the  Africans  acces 
sible  :  'Which  would  you  prefer — to  be  a  slave  with  a  good 
master,  not  much  to  do,  plenty  of  hog  and  hominy,  and  a  coon 
dog,  or  be  a  free  man  and  have  to  scratch  for  your  living?' 
William,  of  course,  took  my  side  of  the  question,  and  preferred 
freedom,  but  Mink,  a  child  of  influence  among  our  contrabands, 
followed  the  coon  dog,  and  the  rest  of  them  followed  Mink." 

Mink  argued  that  if  he  could  pick  his  master,  he  had  rather 
be  a  slave  than  a  Brigadier  General.  There  was  no  better  posi- 
.tion.  It  involved  "no  'sponsibility."  It  was  almost  the  same  as 
to  "jine  the  family."  But  said  I,  "Mink,  what  if  your  master 
died?"  That  would  be  bad  he  said,  because  he  might  set  his 
slaves  free  in  the  will.  He  had  heard  of  them  made  "miserable" 
that  way.  "They'd  rather  died  themselves."  He  said  a  free 
nigger  was  "'spized"  everywhere  he  had  ever  been.  But  said  I, 
Mink  suppose  you  got  a  bad  master?  "Dat's  next  to  bein'  a  free 
nigger,  sah,"  was  his  quick  response. 

General  J.  C.  Rice  of  Massachusetts  has  been  assigned  to  the 


201 

command  of  our  division  in  place  of  General  Briggs,  who  has 

gone  to  Alexandria." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  AUGUST  24th,  1863. 

"William  says  'he  done  never  seed  it  hotter  afore.'     We  have 
just  had  a  thunder  gust.     It  swept  away  my  letter  and  came  near 
taking  our  tent  along  also.     Our   only  course  in  such  an  emer 
gency  is  to  go  to  bed  until  the  wind  will  let  the  candle  burn." 
RAPPAHANNOCK  STATION,  AUGUST  27th,  1863. 

"I  expect  Colonel  Bragg  back  to-night.  If  he  conies,  I  shall 
honor  the  day  to-morrow,  by  an  application  for  a  leave  of  absence 
to  come  home.  Colonel  Bragg  will  likely  get  his  star  as  a 
Brigadier  General.  Colonel  Lucius  Fairchild  was  nominated  by 
the  Republicans  for  Secretary  of  State  of  Wisconsin.  This  is 
accepted  as  a  special  compliment  to  the  'Iron  Brigade.' 

I  am  having  a  busy  day,  shifting  my  whole  camp,  shading  it 
with  evergreen  bowers,  and  having  the  men  raise  their  tents  and 
bunks.  I  am  having  a  thorough,  general  police.  I  propose  to 
have  the  best  camp  in  this  division,  and  therefore  supervise  the 
work  myself,  not  trusting  wholly  to  the  officer  of  the  day. 

Our  new  division  commander,  General  J.  C.  Rice,  is  especially 
anxious  to  have  a  neat  camp.  Our  men  can  make  a  nice  enough 
camp  to  suit  him.  We  once  had  from  the  medical  inspector  of 
the  army  credit  for  having  the  best  arranged  and  best  policed 
regimental  camp  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NEAR  RAPPAHANNOCK  STATION,  ) 

AUGUST  29th,  1863.      j 

"Colonel  Bragg  arrived  in  camp  yesterday.  I  made  application 
for  ten  days  leave  of  absence.  It  will  be  pretty  mean  if  they  do 
not  give  it  to  me.  There  is  no  field  officer  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  wrho  has  kept  more  closely  at  his  post,  or  participated  in 
more  battles." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  SEPTEMBER  3rd,  1863. 

"My  application  for  leave  of  absence  was  disapproved  by  our 
brand-new  Brigadier  General  Rice,  at  division  headquarters,  which 
made  me  pretty  mad,  and  I  went  up  to  see  him.  The  result  of 
our  interview  was,  that  he  said  if  I  would  make  another  applica 
tion,  he  would  approve  it,  and  so  I  started  another  paper  grind 
ing  through  the  mill." 


202 

SEPTEMBER  6th,  1863. 

"This  time  General  Rice  'earnestly  recommended  that  the 
application  be  granted' — a  change  over  the  spirit  of  his  dream. 
General  Rice  was  anxious  that  I  should  know  his  action,  and  he 
called  me  in  to  see  him  endorse  my  application.  You  had  better 
keep  on  writing  letters  just  the  same.  Great  preparations  are 
being  made  for  an  appropriate  celebration  upon  the  reception  of 
the  new  colors  of  the  'Iron  Brigade.'  Ex-Governor  Alexander 
W.  Randall  will  probably  make  the  presentation  address. 

Conscripts  are  beginning  to  come  to  this  army,  and  a  sorry  look 
ing  set  they  are.  Many  are  substitutes,  who  have  received  large 
sums  of  money,  and  who  are  old  soldiers  discharged  or  deserted, 
who  have  come  with  the  deliberate  intention  of  deserting,  and 
again  speculating  in  the  substitute  money.  They  are  closely 
guarded.  What  a  contrast  between  such  hounds  and  the  enthu 
siastic  and  eager  volunteers  of  1861.  Our  men  thoroughly 
despise  these  cattle  and  certainly  the  honor  of  the  old  army  will 
not  be  safe  in  such  hands.  I  took  dinner  wTith  Captain  Hunting- 
ton,  (commander  of  the  Ohio  battery.)  He  lives  well,  and  so  do 
we  now." 

SEPTEMBER  8th,  1863. 

"I  have  been  for  three  days  on  picket.  They  have  just  brought 
in  one  of  our  lieutenants  badly  hurt  by  the  fall  of  a  horse."  (I 
do  not  remember  who  it  was.) 

SEPTEMBER  i2th,  1863. 

"General  Meade  refused  to  grant  my  leave  of  absence.  Colonel 
Bragg  endorsed  it :  'Lieutenant  Colonel  Dawes  has  neither 
asked  nor  received  indulgences  to  relieve  him  from  duty.  I 
earnestly  recommend  the  granting  of  the  application.'  General 
Rice,  the  division  commander,  endorsed :  'This  appears  to  be 
such  a  case,  that  if  the  exigencies  of  the  service  will  permit,  I 
earnestly  recommend  that  the  application  be  granted.'  The  corps 
commander,  General  John  Newton,  approved  the  application,  but 
General  Meade  refused  to  grant  the  leave  of  absence,  and 
returned  the  paper  endorsed:  'The  Commanding  General  de 
clines  to  grant  leaves  of  absence  at  the  present  time,  for  private 
considerations.' 

I  received  notice,  yesterday,  that   Colonel  Cutler's  ordnance 


203 

returns  for  1861  had  not  been  accepted,  and  I  am  obliged  to  go 
to  making  up  returns  for  my  old  company  "K,"  which  is  a  hard 
job.  Is  not  this  system  delightful  as  applied  to  officers  in  the 
field?  Here  is  Colonel  Cutler's  account  of  fifty  thousand  dollars 
worth  of  property,  once  settled  with  the  Government,  but  it  is 
later  discovered  that  it  is  not  precisely  in  accord  with  some 
technical  rule  of  the  Ordnance  Office,  and  now  while  we  are  in 
the  field,  without  our  books  or  papers,  we  must  make  up  again 
two-year  old  accounts,  and  have  them  inspected  and  accepted, 
before  we  can  receive  any  more  pay,  if  they  choose  to  enforce  the 
order  to  stop  it. 

The  paymaster  is  here  now  and  we  will  get  our  pay  this  time 
anyhow.  I  was  just  now  hailed  by  the  Adjutant  General  of  the 
second  army  corps, *  w7ho  is  an  acquaintance.  He  said :  'We 
are  going  over  the  river.'  I  asked  him,  'where?'  He  said:  'To 
Culpepper,  I  think.'  " 

NEAR  RAPPAHANNOCK,  SEPTEMBER  i^th,  1863. 

"The  sound  of  cannon  comes  to  us,  this  morning,  from  the 
front.  The  cavalry  corps  and  the  second  (infantry)  corps  are 
over  the  river  on  a  reconnoissance.  We  have  orders  to  support 
the  second  corps  if  they  are  pushed.  Dr.  Preston  (who  had  now 
returned  from  Gettysburg)  says  three  army  corps  moved  forward 
this  morning.  It  is  surprising  that  we  should  be  left  behind. 
This  looks  like  a  general  advance  of  our  lines,  and  may  possibly 
account  for  the  disapproval  of  my  application  for  a  leave  of 
absence. 

Drinking,  gambling,  and  horse  racing,  are  the  principal 
pursuits  of  many  officers  of  the  army,  during  such  lulls  in  the 
active  service  as  we  are  having  now. 

Next  Thursday,  General  Meade  and  the  'Johnnies'  permitting, 
we  shall  celebrate,  in  an  appropriate  manner,  the  presentation  of 
the  'Iron  Brigade'  flag.  There  is  considerable  fighting  over  the 
river  as  *I  write.  Judging  from  the  sound,  our  men  are 
advancing,  and  the  enemy  retiring.  A  beautifully  decorated 
bower  is  being  constructed,  and  preparations  are  being*  made  for 
a  grand  afiair  when  the  brigade  flag  comes." 

*Franeis  A.  Walker. 


204 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  SEPTEMBER  i5th. 

"I  have  lazy  times  since  Colonel  Bragg  has  returned.  There 
is  nothing  to  read  in  the  army  but  trash  and  newspapers.  The 
worst  thing  of  the  service  is  the  coarse,  boorish  manners,  which 
grow  upon  one,  and  against  W7hich  there  is  little  restraint.  It  is 
easy  not  to  drink  whisky,  and  not  to  gamble,  and  not  to  swear,  but 
it  is  hard  not  to  become  rough,  coarse  and  uncouth.  It  is  easier 
to  be  a  gentleman  here  in  moral  conduct  than  it  is  in  personal 
manners." 

BIVOUAC  NEAR  CULPEPPER  COURT  HOUSE,  ]_ 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  SEPTEMBER  i6th,  1863.     j 

"We  broke  camp  at  daylight  this  morning  and  marched  ten 
miles  toward  the  enemy,  and  are  perhaps  on  the  eve  of  more  of 
the  bloody  fighting  that  usually  falls  to  our  lot.  We  are  now  in 
bivouac  awaiting  orders.  The  sun  is  very  hot  and  the  dust  in 
tolerable.  We  are  in  a  beautiful  rolling  country,  covered  with 
rich  farms  and  fine  houses,  but  no  crops  are  cultivated.  As  far 
as  I  can  see  to  the  east  and  west  stretches  a  broad  line  of  glisten 
ing  white  tents,  the  line  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac.  To  the 
east,  we  trace  it  for  six  miles,  and  to  the  west,  for  four  miles. 
This  great  white  belt  is  the  strength  of  the  North  in  the  cause  of 
justice,  freedom  and  humanity.  It  does  seem  that,  with  the 
prestige  and  glory  of  our  victory  at  Gettysburg,  and  with  the 
unity  and  determination  this  army  has  shown,  its  onward  sweep 
should  be  irresistible. 

The  sound  of  cannon  has  come  to  our  ears  all  day  from  the 
front,  and  it  comes  as  I  write  from  the  direction  of  the  old  Cedar 
Mountain  battle  field.  To  us  who  have  so  often  felt  the  terrible 
meaning  of  this  sound,  it  is  not  pleasant.  The  wail  of  a  musket 
ball  that  has  spent  its  flight  is  mournful;  the  hiss  of  one  at  full 
speed  is  spiteful.  I  lay  on  my  back  looking  into  the  sky  hour 
after  hour  on  Gulp's  Hill  at  Gettysburg,  listening  to  the  varied 
sounds  of  battle  firing.  Some  of  our  men  imitate  the  whistle  of  a 
shell  to  perfection. 

Our  bfigade  band  is  now  playing  'When  this  cruel  war  is 
over.'  Dr.  Hall,  carried  away  by  the  music  and  by  the  senti 
ment,  is  bothering  me  with  conundrums,  'When  will  it  be  over? 
What  will  be  the  result  ?  Will  the  end  of  this  cruel  war  establish 


205 

National  Supremacy  or   destroy  it  ?'     If  you  think  of  any  good 
answers  you  might  put  them  in  your  next." 

BIVOUAC  NEAR  Cui^PEPPER,  SEPTEMBER  lyth,  1863. 

"I  lay  last  night  on  gravel  stones  about  as  big  as  a  walnut. 
To-day  I  sent  Billy  out  to  provide  for  the  case.  He  got  a  bushy 
cedar  tree,  from  which  we  made  a  splendid  bed.  All  the  roads  in 
this  country  are  lined  with  cedar,  and  frequently  with  osage 
orange  hedges.  They  are  very  pretty  and  pleasant,  but  we 
'heathenish  vandals'  must  have  something  upon  which  to  rest 
our  weary  limbs,  and  so  we  appropriate  the  trees  and  hedges. 
There  is  much  grief  among  the  old  families  here  at  seeing  the 
landmarks  of  their  childhood  and  days  of  their  prosperity 
swept  away,  and  their  manifestation  of  sorrow  is  sometimes  quite 
affecting.  But  sorry  as  it  makes  us  feel,  we  have  to  stand  it,  and 
take  the  trees.  At  Culpepper  live  the  families  of  Slaughter  and 
Bradford.  At  Madison  University,  Wisconsin,  I  met  Clayton  and 
Johnny  Slaughter  and  Hill  Bradford.  They  were  young  South 
ern  gentlemen.  They  say  Clayton  served  as  an  aid-de-camp  to 
General  Roger  A.  Pryor,  and  Bradford  went  with  the  rebel 
artillery  (Kemper's.) 

Nothing  daunted  by  our  unfortunate  march,  which  prevented 
our  celebration,  the  "Iron  brigade"  proposes  this  afternoon  to  re 
ceive  its  new  flag  with  appropriate  honors.  This  is  the 
anniversary  of  our  battle  at  Antietam.  The  victuals  are  here  and 
the  liquors,  but  no  splendid  bower  nor  distinguished  guests." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  SEPTEMBER  i8th. 

"What  a  time  we  had  this  morning.  There  came  a  pouring 
rain  storm  in  the  night,  and  in  the  midst  ot  it  a  gust  of  wind 
swept  away  our  tents  and  left  Dr.  Hall  and  me  in  a  sorry  plight. 
In  pouring  rain  and  sloppy  mud,  with  no  superfluous  clothing 
to  speak  of  to  protect  us  from  the  elements,  we  recaptured  and 
raised  our  fallen  domicile  and  waited  in  a  state  of  perfect  satura 
tion  and  misery  for  daylight.  This  kind  of  soldiering  presents 
few  attractions. 

The  brigade  flag  celebration  came  off  according  to  program, 
but  it  was  an  affair  that  conferred  little  honor  on  the  brigade  as 
gentlemen.  I  feel  glad  to  say  there  were  a  few  exceptions,  but  the 
fact  is,  the  officers  of  this  brigade  and  the  Generals  and  staff 


206 

officers  within  any  convenient  distance  of  us  were  almost  unani 
mously  drunk  last  night.  You  will  see  an  account  of  the 
presentation  in  the  New  York  Times,  as  I  saw  the  'graphic  and 
reliable'  correspondent  of  that  paper  guzzling  champagne  and 
wine  with  the  rest  of  them.* 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.) 

NEAR  CULPEPPER,  SUNDAY,  SEPTEMBER  2oth,  1863. 

"I  rode  over  to  Culpepper  Court  House  this  morning.  While 
in  the  village  the  house  of  Dr.  Slaughter  was  pointed  out  to  me. 
The  house  in  its  surroundings  and  appearance  is  very  respectable 
and  substantial,  and  I  called  to  inquire  after  my  old  college 
friends.  I  was  gracefully  received  by  a  young  lady,  who  to  my 
inquiry  touching  the  health  and  location  of  John  and 
Clayton  Slaughter,  in  whom  I  felt  the  'interest  of  an  old  college 
associate,'  replied  that  her  brothers  were  at  present  absent  in  the 
army,  but  if  I  would  come  in  she  would  be  glad  to  tell  me  of  them. 

Her  mother,  a  very  pleasant  and  intelligent  lady,  came  in  to 
see  me  and  my  visit  seemed  quite  acceptable  and  pleasant. 
Why  not?  I  was  from  Wisconsin,  and  there,  Mrs.  Slaughter  told 
me,  many  of  her  relatives  lived,  and  with  Madison,  Wisconsin, 
were  connected  many  of  the  most  pleasant  associations  of  the 
family.  'Can  you  tell  me,  Colonel  Dawes,  where  Lawson  Merrill 
is?  He  is  my  nephew.'  He  was  my  classmate  in  the  University 
and  he  is  now  in  the  United  States  Navy.  'Can  you  tell  me 
where  tBmory,  his  brother,  is  ?'  I  knew  that  he  was  an  officer  in 


*FLAG  FOR  THE  IRON  BRIGADE. — There  is  on  exhibition  at  the  store  of 
Messrs.  Tiffany  &  Co.,  a  beautiful  flag,  which  has  been  procured  for  the 
celebrated  "Iron  Brigade,"  of  the  First  army  corps,  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
The  flag  is  of  regulation  size,  and  made  of  heavy  dark  blue  silk.  It  is 
embellished  by  a  handsome  vignette  of  an  eagle,  shield  and  scroll  motto, 
"E  Pluribus  Unum" — the  same  as  on  the  ten  dollar  Treasury  note.  The 
names  of  the  principal  battles  in  which  the  brigade  has  been  engaged  are 
handsomely  worked,  each  on  a  separate  scroll.  The  vignette,  the  scroll 
work,  and  the  name  of  each  regiment  composing  the  brigade — the  Second, 
Sixth  and  Seventh  Wisconsin,  Nineteenth  Indiana  and  Twenty-fourth 
Michigan — are  all  worked  in  the  flag  with  silk  chenille,  and  the  shading  is 
most  exquisitely  done.  A  rich  and  heavy  border  adds  to  and  completes 
the  effect.  The  staff  is  mounted  with  a  massive  silver  spear  head.  The 
flag  is  the  gift  of  a  number  of  gentlemen  from  the  States  of  Wisconsin, 
Indiana  and  Michigan.  It  is  a  tit  and  elegant  tribute  to  the  heroism  of  one 
of  the  most  glorious  organizations  in  the  entire  army. — New  York  Times. 

tCol.  Win.  E.  Merrill,  U.  S.  Engineers. 


207 

our  army,  but  I  did  not  tell  her  he  had  been  on  General  Pope's  staff. 
'Where  is  William  Vilas?  John  thought  everything  of  him.' 
My  answer  was  'He  is  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  twenty-third 
Wisconsin.'  Dick  Hubbell,  another  classmate  of  John's,  is  a 
Lieutenant  in  our  army.  Her  nephew,  Burgess  Slaughter,  is  a 
Captain,  and  William  Slaughter,  her  husband's  brother,  is  an 
officer  in  the  Union  army.  On  their  mantel  was  a  photograph  of 
Chancellor  Lathrop  and  Clayt's  class  at  the  University,  all  of 
whom,  except  Clayt  and  Bradford,  are  officers  in  the  Union 
army. 

General  Roger  A.  Pryor  has  resigned  on  account  of  some 
difficulty  with  Jeff.  Davis,  and  now  Pryor  and  his  aid-de-camp, 
Slaughter,  are  privates  in  the  third  Virginia  cavalry." 

This  statement  is  from  information  received  in  Culpepper 
village,  and  it  may  be  erroneous. 

"The  war  has  carried  the  northern  soldiers  of  the  family  up, 
and  the  southern,  down. 

I  enclose  a  graphic,  though  unpretending  story,  of  our  drum 
major's  escape  from  the  rebels,  (R.  N.  Smith.)  The  boy  had 
little  idea  he  was  writing  for  the  eyes  of  the  world.  Ed  Brooks 
happening  to  see  his  letter,  secured  its  publication  in  a  Wiscon 
sin  newspaper.  It  is  such  spirit  as  this  boy  shows,  that  has  made 
the  glory  of  the  old  Sixth  regiment." 

Smith  was  captured  at  Gettysburg,  and  escaping  from  the  rebel 
guard,  he  floated  down  the  Shenandoah  river  on  a  saw-log, 
hiding  in  the  daytime  and  floating  only  at  night. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  { 

SEPTEMBER  2ist.     j 

"I  have  been  all  day  at  work  making  up  ordnance  returns, 
some  of  them  for  two  years  ago.  All  this  work  must  be  done 
over,  or  we  poor  ex-captains  lose  more  than  we  are  worth.  I  do 
not  believe  there  are  any  errors  in  my  original  returns,  but 
Colonel  Cutler's  return  for  the  regiment  has  been  rejected.  Red 
tape  is  well  enough  for  a  peace  establishment,  but,  as  applied  to 
the  extraordinary  exigencies  of  service  in  the  field,  it  is  severe. 
Officers  in  the  field,  who  are  suffering  and  risking  everything, 
and  scarcely  allowed  transportation  for  enough  to  eat,  are 
required  to  make  returns  for  the  critical  scrutiny  of  officials  at 


208 

Washington,  who  seem  to  reject  them  on  the  flimsiest  informality. 
This  subjects  an  officer  to  stoppage  of  his  pay  and  allowances, 
no  matter  how  impossible  a  loss  of  papers  even  in  battle,  or  want 
of  vouchers  pro  forma  makes  it  to  correct  returns.  The  clerks 
at  Washington  exact  the  same  technical  accuracy  of  the  officer 
in  the  field,  required  of  the  officer  in  the  garrison." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  SEPTEMBER,  22nd,  1863. 

"I  have  at  last  got  that  ordnance  return  made  up  and  sent  off. 
It  has  taken  three  days  hard  work,  and  it  is  all  correct.  General 
Cutler  has  come  back  and  is  in  command  now  of  the  division. 
We  are  all  stirred  up  by  the  terrible  battle  at  Chattanooga." 
(Chickamauga.) 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  SEPTEMBER  23rd. 

"We  are  greatly  concerned  about  General  Rosecrans'  army. 
As  usual,  our  active  and  desperate  foe  has  concentrated  his 
strength  on  a  weaker  army.  Chattanooga  is  one  of  the 
strategic  points  of  the  war.  Its  simple  possession  by  us  forces, 
ultimately,  offensive  operations  by  the  enemy,  and  that  is  a  great 
point  gained  if  we  only  avail  ourselves  of  the  advantage.  But 
to  have  the  golden  opportunity  turned  into  a  defeat  of  our  army, 
and  a  loss  of  the  point,  would  be  a  great  calamity." 

HEADQUARTERS  PICKET,  FIRST  DIVISION,  FIRST  ARMY  CORPS,  ) 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  SEPTEMBER  26th,  1863.      j 

"Day  before  yesterday,  very  unexpectedly  and  very  suddenly, 
we  left  our  old  camp  and  marched  here  to  the  fords  of  the  Rapi- 
dan,  to  relieve  the  twelfth  army  corps,  on  general  outpost  duty 
for  the  army.  I  was  placed  in  command  of  the  first  division 
picket,  and  night  and  day  since,  have  been  very  busy  on  that 
hardest  duty  of  the  service.  My  line  is  four  miles  long,  running 
most  of  the  way  along  the  bank  of  the  Rapidan  river.  The 
rebel  pickets  are  very  amicably  disposed.  There  has  been  no 
firing  on  this  line.  The  smoke  of  the  encampments  of  the  rebel 
army  rises  from  every  piece  of  timber,  and  their  earthworks 
appear  on  every  hill  beyond  the  river.  My  headquarters  are  at 
Morton's  Ford.  This  is  a  rich  country.  The  houses  are  fine, 
and  there  is  evidence  of  wealth  and  refinement.  The  house  (Mr. 


209 

Robinson's*)  where  I  write  has  been  abandoned  on  account  of 
its  proximity  to  the  lines,  but  it  is  now  rilled  with  elegant  furni 
ture  and  paintings.  The  weather  is  cold  for  the  season.  I  can 
see  a  rebel  general  and  escort  riding  along  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river  as  I"  look  out  of  my  window  from  my  writing.  My 
letter  was  interfered  with.  One  of  the  captains  on  the  picket 
line  came  to  me  with  the  word  that  a  rebel  was  trying  to  get 
into  our  line.  I  went  out  to  the  point  at  once  and  saw  several 
bayonets  glistening  in  the  sun  in  a  cornfield  on  this  side  of  the 
river.  (At  this  point  the  rebel  line  was  on  the  river,  and  our 
line  was  back  from  the  river.)  I  immediately  turned  out  the 
grand  guard,  but  discovered  that  one  man  only  was  really 
advancing,  swinging  something  white  over  his  head.  When  he 
saw  the  grand  guard  falling  into  line,  he  turned  to  run,  but  I 
ordered  him  to  halt  on  penalty  of  being  shot,  and,  supposing  him 
a  deserter,  assured  him  of  safety  in  coming  into  our  lines.  So 
he  came  in.  His  only  object  was  to  exchange  newspapers,  and 
one  of  our  men  had  swung  a  paper  as  a  signal  to  come  over. 
He  had  really  been  enticed  into  our  lines.  But  having  arrested 
him  thus  publicly,  I  could  not  release  him  without  instructions, 
so  I  sent  a  note  to  General  Newton,  and  explained  the  case  to 
him,  and  asked  for  instructions,  He  ordered  me  to  hold  the 
man,  which  seemed  a  mean  advantage  to  take,  but  he  was  right. 
I  now  must  go  with  the  general  officer  to  visit  the  line." 
(Better  to  M.  B.  G.) 

BIVOUAC  NEAR  MORTON'S  FORD,  SEPTEMBER  27th,  1863. 
"I  was  relieved  from  picket  duty  last  night.  The  regiment 
now  lies  one  mile  from  Morton's  Ford,  but  our  wagons  are  all 
six  miles  back,  and  nothing  but  headquarters'  mail  comes  up. 
It  is  getting  cold  these  nights  to  sleep  on  the  ground.  We 
build  up  a  fire  of  logs  and  spreading  our  blankets  on  the  ground, 
lie  with  our  feet  to  it.  My  health  is  better  when  on  this  kind  of 
campaigning  than  when  in  camp.  On  that  severest  of  all  our 
marches,  from  Fredericksburgh  to  Gettysburg,  I  gained  several 
pounds  in  weight.  You  may  hear  of  me  on  our  way  to  Chatta 
nooga.  The  first  corps  used  to  serve  under  General  Hooker,  and 
he  is  to  command  a  western  expedition." 

*War  Record  has  it  Robertson. 


210 

(Better  to  M.  B.  G.)  BIVOUAC  IN  THE  FIEU),  ) 

SEPTEMBER  29th,  1863.     j 

"This  morning  we  moved  camp  a  mile  or  two,  to  get  out  of 
range  of  the  enemy's  batteries  south  of  the  river,  and  avoid 
danger  of  surprise.  There  was  quite  an  alarm  ^esterday  morn 
ing.  What  seemed  to  be  a  brisk  musketry  skirmish  was  heard 
along  the  pickets.  Drums  were  rolling,  bands  playing,  artillery 
rumbling  on  the  roads  on  the  other  side  of  the  narrow  river.  All 
was  under  the  mantle  of  a  heavy  morning  fog.  L,ine  of  battle 
was  formed,  and  every  preparation  made  to  repel  any  attempt  at 
crossing  by  the  enemy.  When  the  fog  raised,  not  a  battalion  or 
battery  of  the  enemy  was  in  sight  and  not  a  shot  had  come  near 
our  pickets.  What  do  you  suppose  the  rebels  were  up  to, 
making  all  this  fuss?  *The  eleventh  and  twelfth  corps  have  left 
this  army  and  are  now  in  Washington.  While  they  are  gone, 
the  probabilities  of  an  advance  by  us  are  small.  Nor  do  I  think 
while  lyongstreet  is  west,  the  rebels  will  attack  us.  We  are 
feeling  easier  about  Rosecrans,  but  fear  he  is  not  master  of  the 
situation,  and  that  he  has  been  entrapped  by  Bragg.  Hooker  is 
to  command  the  expedition,  eleventh  and  twelfth  corps,  if  it  is 
not  recalled,  which  some  look  for  now.  They  say  this  army  was 
to  have  fallen  back  to  Centreville,  and  the  strongest  corps  sent 
west  if  the  reports  had  continued  unfavorable." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  SEPTEMBER  3oth,  1863. 

"It  is  dull  here  now.  I  take  a  ride  on  my  horse  occasionally 
to  look  at  the  rebel  pickets  and  speculate  on  the  signal  flags,  and 
to  enjoy  the  beautiful  weather  we  are  now  having.  I  play  chess 
some  and  am  champion  of  this  division." 


*See  pages  146  to  200,  Vol.  XXIX,  Part  1,  War  Records  for  account  of 
movements  of  llth  and  12th  corps  by  rail  to  Chattanooga. 


X. 

At  Morton's  Ford— The  Retreat  to  Centreville—A  Skirmish  at 
rlaymarket—Bob  Tomlinson—To  Thoroughfare  Gap—Roast 
Turlfey — Judge  Advocate  of  a  Court  Martial — General  Fairchild 
—  Col.  Edward  Pye—To  Catlett's  Station— Adjutant  Broolfs 
Captured— General  Cutler  Resorts  to  Vigorous  Measures— A. 
Gentleman  of  the  Old  School— To  Rappahannoclf—A  Visit  to  M. 
B.  G.  in  Ohio— The  Mine  Run  Campaign. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)         NEAR  MORTON'S  FORD,  OCT.  4th,  1863. 

" About  two  hours  ago  there  broke  out  a  roar  of  cannon.  The 
rebels  fired  six  times  into  our  lines  at  Raccoon  Ford,  and  for 
what  purpose  I  do  not  know.  The  impression  here  is  that  the 
war  has  for  the  present  been  carried  to  the  west.  Here  the 
prestige  of  victory  rests  with  us  and  the  advantage  to  be  gained 
by  moderate  success  in  Virginia  is  small." 

MORTON'S  FORD,  OCTOBER  gth,  1863. 

"This  morning  I  took  a  long  ride  to  enjoy  the  bright,  beautiful 
day,  and  I  reconnoitered  the  enemy's  position  from  Clark's 
Mountain  to  Stringfellow's  Ford,  the  extreme  left  of  our  army. 
They  are  entrenched  on  a  range  of  hills,  completely  commanding 
our  approaches  throughout  the  line,  and  their  forts  are  arranged 
so  as  to  pour  a  converging  fire  upon  the  principal  fords. 

THE  RETREAT  OF  THE  ARMY  TO  CENTREVIU,E. 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  KEI^Y'S  FORD,  OCTOBER  i2th,  1863. 

"I  know  you  will  excuse  my  pencil.  I  forgot  to  put  ink  in  my 
haversack  in  our  hurry  when  we  started.  At  daylight,  Saturday, 
our  first  corps  was  massed  in  front  of  Morton's  Ford  on  the 
Rapidan.  Orders  were  given  to  cross  the  river  and  attack  the 
enemy  in  his  entrenchments  and  our  regiment  was  placed 
upon  the  skirmish  line  to  lead  the  attack  as  at  Fitz  Hugh's  cross 
ing.  The  day  was  consumed  in  making  showy  demonstrations 
in  sight  of  the  enemy.  *No  advance  at  all  was  intended,  (I  was 
mistaken,)  but  at  night  we  made  a  hurried  retreat  toward  Culpep- 

*See  Pages  272—279,  and  291—293,  Volume  XXIX,  Part  II,  War 
Records. 


212 

per  Court  House.  We  waited  until  yesterday  at  Culpepper  for 
the  wagon  train  of  the  army  to  clear  the  way,  and  then  continued 
our  retreat  toward  the  Rappahannock.  Our  column  was  scarcely 
in  motion  when  the  enemy  with  cavalry,  infantry  and  artillery 
attacked  General  Buford,  (cavalry,)  our  rear  guard.  Our  regi 
ment  was  rear  guard  for  the  infantry,  so  we  had  a  good  view  of 
the  cavalry  fight  at  a  distance  of  not  over  a  mile.  We  continued 
our  retreat  in  plain  sight  of  fighting  all  the  way,  until  last  night 
we  reached  Kelly's  Ford.  So  for  thirty-six  hours  we  have  been 
on  duty.  The  reason  we  escaped  fighting  yesterday  was  that 
the  enemy  did  not  pursue  our  column  toward  Kelly 's  Ford,  but  went 
in  the  direction  of  Brandy  Station,  where  the  fighting  was  severe. 
We  fear  that  Buford's  cavalry  was  badly  used.  From  the  high 
ground  near  Stevensburgh,  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  cavalry 
resisting  the  advance  of  the  enemy  on  the  plains  toward  the 
Rapidan.  The  cavalry  would  form  their  lines  and  receive  the 
attack  with  hot  firing,  and  then  wheel  by  sections  and  gallop  to 
the  rear,  reform  their  lines  again,  and  await  another  advance  of 
the  enemy.  The  cavalry  was  finely  handled,  and  behaved 
admirably." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)     KEU,Y'S  FORD,  OCTOBER  i2th,  EVENING. 

"I  wrote  this  morning,  and  in  default  of  a  better  opportunity, 
sent  the  letter  by  a  teamster.  All  is  quiet  to-day,  although  a 
battle  may  be  impending.  I  do  not  think  General  Meade  will 
force  the  fighting,  but  he  may  not  be  able  to  avoid  battle.  I 
never  saw  a  cavalry  fight  upon  an  open  plain  before  yesterday. 
General  Buford  handled  his  division  with  great  skill  and  courage, 
and  he  performed  excellent  service  in  holding  back  the  enemy. 
He  resisted  their  infantry  for  twelve  miles." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  HEIGHTS  OF  CENTREVIIXE,  VA.,  OCT.  i4th. 
"After  continuous  marching  night  and  day,  we  have  outrun 
the  enemy  and  this  afternoon  our  army  is  going  into  position 
along  these  heights.  We  have  escaped  fighting  ourselves,  but 
every  day  we  have  heard  the  thunder  of  the  enemy's  guns,  pur 
suing  the  rear.  As  I  write  this  letter,  the  air  is  full  of  the  noise 
of  battle.  We  think  it  is  the  second  corps,  and  that  the  battle  is 
near  Manassas  Junction." 


213 

Battle  near  Bristoe  Station, — between  second  corps,  commanded 
by  General  G.  K.  Warren,  and  the  corps  of  General  Ewell  of  the 
Confederate  army. 

"The  rebels  are  after  our  wagon  train,  and  we  are  in  fear  for 
it.  We  hope  our  first  corps  train  is  safe.  Will  we  have  a  battle 
here  to-morrow  ?  That  is  the  question  we  are  all  discussing.  The 
battle  roars  and  lulls  as  I  write.  From  the  sound  I  do  not  think 
our  men  are  losing  ground.  God  help  them !  You  should  see 
our  wagon  train  rushing  along  the  turnpike  to  the  rear.  A  panic 
among  the  thousand  or  two  wagons  of  this  army  is  a  scene." 

Six  P.   M. — "The  fight  is  over  down  at  Manassas,  (Bristoe.) 
Our  wagon  train  appears  to  be  safe." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CENTREVILLE,VA.,  OCT.  i5th,  1863,  8  P.  M. 

"My  candle  flickers  in  the  wind  so  that  I  can  hardly  write. 
Think  of  me  rejoicing  to-night,  in  the  possession  of  an  ancient 
pig-pen,  as  a  protection  from  the  drizzling  storm.  We  are  in  line 
of  battle  in  rifle  pits  at  Centreville,  awaiting  the  enemy.  They 
have  been  cannonading  our  left  two  miles  from  here  all  the  after 
noon." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CENTREVILLE,VA.,  OCT.  i6th,  1863,  8  P.  M. 

"Not  much  firing  to-day  and  no  battle.  I  have  emerged  from 
my  pig-pen  to-night,  and  availed  myself  of  the  hospitality  of  a 
poor  white  for  shelter  to  write  this  letter.  His  unpretending 
domicile  has  its  history  in  being  the  birth  place  of  the  rebel 
General  Benjamin  S.  Ewell,  who  is  in  our  front  in  command  of 
some  twenty  thousand  men.  I  do  not  think  the  enemy  will 
pursue  his  aggressive  movement.  It  is  too  late  in  the  season  for 
a  campaign  north  of  the  Potomac,  and  I  do  not  think  General 
Lee  is  strong  enough  to  venture  it.  General  Lee  by  his  forward, 
and  our  retrograde  movement,  has  placed  our  capital  before  the 
world  as  menaced,  instead  of  his  own.  General  Meade,  sufficiently 
strengthened,  as  I  think  he  has  been,  should  turn  upon  Lee,  and 
if  possible,  defeat  him  on  the  old  battle  field  of  Bull  Run.  There 
would  be  poetic  justice  in  such  a  history.  We  have  not  seen  our 
wagons  or  valises  since  we  left  the  Rapidan." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.) 

CENTREVILLE,  VA.,  (OCTOBER  iyth  or  i8th.) 

"This  morning  we  'fell  in'  double  quick  at  daylight  to  march 


214 

to  the  assistance  of  'General  Sedgwick  at  Chantilly,'  but  the 
rebels  did  not  attack  General  Sedgwick.  Every  day  we  hear 
distant  cannonading.  The  weather  is  delightful  and  from  these 
heights  we  have  an  extended  and  varied  landscape.  You  can,  on 
clear  days,  trace  the  blue  summits  of  the  mountains  from  Harper's 
Ferry  to  Culpepper  county,  and  to  the  south  and  east  you  over 
look  the  fighting  ground  from  Bull  Run  to  Fredericksburgh." 

*"IyiNE  OF  BATTLE,  NEAR  HAYMARKET,  VA.,  ) 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  OCTOBER  26th,  1863.      j 

We  left  Centreville  yesterday  morning  in  a  cold,  beating  rain 
storm.  We  marched  toward  Warrenton  by  way  of  the  Bull  Run 
and  Gainesville  battle-fields.  The  cavalry  in  our  front  skir 
mished  with  the  enemy  all  day.  Toward  evening  we  bivouacked 
near  Haymarket.  Cannonading  was  still  going  on  in  front.  We 
had  just  begun  to  cook  supper  when  an  officer  came  rushing 
in  with  word  that  our  cavalry  were  attacked  at  Broad  Run  by 
overwhelming  numbers.  General  Newton  ordered  the  brigade 
out  at  once  to  their  relief.  We  double  quicked  a  mile  when  sharp 
firing  and  cheering  broke  out  near  the  camp  we  had  left.  There 
was  firing  in  front  of  us  and  to  our  left.  The  enemy's  cavalry 
seemed  to  be  all  around  us.  We  formed  a  line  of  battle,  skirting 
an  edge  of  timber.  The  rebel  cavalry  in  our  front  advanced,  but 
when  they  saw  our  line  they  immediately  retreated.  We  re 
mained  until  late  in  the  night  and  then  marched  back  about  a 
mile  where  we  found  the  whole  first  corps  in  line  of  battle.  The 
seventh  Wisconsin  lost  about  forty  men  who  were  on  picket.  We 
lost  one  man  taken  prisoner." 

A  recent  letter  from  General  Bragg  gives  the  history  of  the 
'one  man'  lost : 

"Do  you  remember  Tomlinson  of  company  B?  I  think  they 
called  him  'Bob.'  In  the  early  camp-life  days,  he  used  to  swell 
and  boast  of  his  prowess  until  he  was  marked  down  as  a  sort  of 
'Bombastes  furioso;'  but  he  proved  as  good  as  he  talked. 

At  Antietam,  (you  told  me  this)  when  you  fell  back  from 
beyond  the  corn  field  the  first  time,  Bob  cried  out,  'not  yet,  I 
have  a  few  more  cartridges  left,'  and  he  was  firing  away  with  his 

*For  reports  of  action  at  Buckland  Mills,  October  19th,  1863,  see  Volume 
XXIX,  Parts  I  and  II,  War  Records. 


,EN.  R.E.  LEE 


215 

musket  in  the  open  field,  a  target  for  hundreds  to  turn  their  guns 
on.  Bob  got  a  terrible  wound  in  the  shoulder  at  Gettysburg  and 
was  sent  to  hospital,  but  he  ran  away  and  joined  us,  with  his 
wound  all  open  and  unhealed,  when  we  were  marching  under  Gen 
eral  Newton  as  corps  commander,  toward  Thoroughfare.  You 
remember  when  Fitz  Hugh  Lee  surprised  Kilpatrick,  near  Buck- 
land's,  and  in  hot  pursuit,  his  men  came  clear  on  to  our  camp 
line,  where  we  were  killing  beef,  and  the  Sixth  was  ordered  out  at 
double  quick  in  light  marching  order  to  repel  cavalry,  which  by 
that  time  was  more  scared  than  we  were,  and  was  getting  back 
on  the  gallop !  Now  to  come  to  Bob  again,  he  was  left  at  the 
commissary,  to  guard  our  meat;  he  had  no  gun,  and  being  wounded 
could  carry  none,  but  the  devil  was  waked  up  in  him,  he  got  a 
pistol  and  took  a  short  cut  across  a  neck  of  woods  to  join  us,  and 
he  was  picked  up  by  straggling  rebel  cavalry.  He  gave  his  life  to 
his  country  in  a  rebel  prison !" 

"We  have  two  pack  mules  for  regimental  field  and  staff 
transportation,  upon  which  we  carry  plenty  of  blankets,  but  no 
shelter.  Our  provisions  we  carry  in  panniers  on  the  mules.  It 
is  two  weeks  since  we  have  seen  our  regimental  headquarters 
wagon,  and  as  no  sutlers  are  allowed  with  the  army,  we  are 
becoming  quite  poverty-stricken." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  THOROUGHFARE  GAP,  VIRGINIA,  \ 

OCTOBER  3ist,  1863.     j 

"You  can  hardly  know  how  comfortable  and  homelike  it  seems 
to-night  to  get  up  my  wall  tent.  Since  the  eighth  of  this  month, 
I  have  had  nothing  over  me  except  the  slab  cover  of  the  pig-pen  at 
Centreville.  To-night  the  regiment  is  in  camp.  It  is  said  that  a 
council  of  wrar  was  held  at  Gainesville  yesterday,  and  as  a  result 
we  came  here.  Just  at  supper  time  last  night  we  got  our  march 
ing  orders,  and  it  was  midnight  before  we  had  accomplished  our 
journey  of  five  miles.  It  was  a  night  of  Egyptian  darkness* 
The  column  of  troops  would  hitch  up  two  rods  and  stop  fifteen 
minutes,  and  then  hitch  up  a  rod  and  a  half  and  stop  half  an 
hour.  It  is  always  so,  marching  after  artillery  over  a  stony  road 
and  rough  hills.  I  often  fall  asleep  on  my  horse,  but  whenever 
the  troops  ahead  start,  she  starts,  and  she  is  in  no  more  danger  of 
losing  our  regiment  than  a  hound  is  of  losing  a  fox. 


216 

We  have  a  magnificent  place  here.  We  are  encamped  among 
the  Bull  Run  Mountains,  west  of  Thoroughfare  Gap.  I  climbed 
this  morning  to  the  top  of  the  highest  peak  and  enjoyed  the 
scenery.  You  will  be  astonished  at  our  dinner  to-day.  Roast 
turkey!  Honey!  Graham  biscuit!  It  is  an  epoch,  such  a 
dinner  in  this  day  ot  hard  tack  plain,  hard  tack  fried,  hard  tack 
soaked,  hard  tack  crumbled  and  stewed,  or  hard  tack  otherwise 
compounded  with  salt  pork  as  the  sole  staff  of  life.  Colonel 
Bragg  devoted  his  entire  attention  to  an  oven  of  flat  stones  and 
a  turnspit  for  the  turkey.  This  turkey,  by  the  way,  paid  to  us 
good  and  true  Union  soldiers,  the  penalty  of  his  life  for  gobbling 
at  one  of  our  men  with  all  the  venom  and  derision  of  the 
miserable  rebel  that  he  was.  Colonel  Bragg,  to  his  infinite  satis 
faction  and  pride,  in  two  hours  and  a  half,  brought  on  a  roast 
turkey  that  would  have  done  honor  to  the  table  of  a  lord.  He 
gave  me  lessons  in  the  art  of  carving.  The  Doctor,  (J.  C.  Hall,) 
who  had  conscientious  scruples  that  the  honey  was  realized  in  an 
improper  manner  by  the  man  who  presented  it  to  the  Colonel, 
visited  the  premises  to  investigate,  and,  being  furiously  attacked 
by  the  bees  on  account  of  his  Union  sentiments,  he  concluded 
that  the  confiscation  was  just  and  proper.  We  do  not  steal 
turkeys  and  honey  as  a  rule,  but  when  a  wealthy  rebel  runs  away, 
leaving  everything  because  our  army  is  coming,  we  sometimes  con 
fiscate  rebellious  turkey  gobblers,  and  the  honey  of  traitorous  bees. 

Ohio  has  done  a  grand  thing  in  the  sweeping  defeat  of  Vallan- 
digham,  and  I  feel  proud  of  my  native  state." 

"NEAR  THOROUGHFARE  GAP,  OCTOBER  23d,  1863. 

I  have  a  disagreeable  task.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Robert  B. 
Jordon,  of  the  fourteenth  Brooklyn,  wras  in  command  of  the 
picket  of  our  division  last  Monday  at  Hay  market  when  the 
skirmish  took  place.  Charges  have  been  preferred  against  him 
for  misconduct  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy.  A  special  court 
martial  has  been  called  by  General  Newton,  commanding  the  first 
army  corps,  witn  General  J.  C.  Rice  as  President  and  your  unfor 
tunate  correspondent  as  Judge  Advocate.  I  tried  my  best  to  get 
excused  from  this  duty,  but  'Old  Prince,'  as  the  boys  irreverently 
call  General  Cutler,*  would  not  allow  me  to  be  excused  at  all. 

^General  Cutler  commanded  the  division. 


217 

Colonel  Jordon  has  employed  the  best  legal  advisers  he  could  find 
to  defend  him.  I  spent  yesterday  and  until  late  at  night  looking  up 
the  case.  Never  a  student  of  law,  I  feel  not  a  little  nervous  in 
going  before  so  intelligent  and  dignified  a  court  on  behalf  of  the 
prosecution  in  one  of  the  most  important  cases  ever  tried  in  our 
division." 

NEAR  BRISTOE  STATION,  VA.,  ORANGE  &  ALEXANDRIA  R.  R. ) 
(Letter  to  M.  G.  B.)  OCTOBER  25th,  1863,— 8.  a.  m.      j 

"We  left  Thoroughfare  Gap  yesterday  in  a  cold  rain  storm. 
We  marched  all  day,  the  men  wading  three  creeks  waist  deep. 
We  went  to  Brentsville  and  then  after  night,  countermarched  to 
this  point,  fording  another  deep  creek  by  the  way.  Yesterday 
was  one  of  the  hardest  days  of  all  our  service,  and  its  effect  upon 
the  question  of  veteran  enlistment  was  decidedly  unhealthy." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.) 

CAMP  NEAR  BRISTOE,  OCTOBER  27th,  1863. 

"I  have  been  as  busy  as  a  man  could  be  for  two  days  with 
the  Colonel  Jordon  case.  To-night  my  work  was  closed,  the 
final  defense  of  the  accused  and  the  finding  and  sentence  of  the 
Court  only  to  be  had.  Things  are  unsettled  here.  It  is  impos 
sible  to  tell  whether  we  will  remain  in  peace  this  fall  or  go  into 
battle  to-morrow.  We  hear  cannonading  every  day  but  never 
know  where  it  is  or  what  is  the  cause  of  it.  We  are  under 
orders  to  be  ready  to  move  at  a  moment's  notice.  Still  we 
always  regard  the  chances  as  about  even  of  going  or  staying 
under  such  orders. 

Since  our  brilliant  retrograde  movement  to  Centreville  every 
thing  seems  in  the  fog.  I  think  the  enemy  intend  to  check  and 
embarrass  General  Meade  on  every  foot  of  his  advance,  to 
consume  his  time  until  (general  Mud  puts  an  embargo  upon 
army  movements.  My  head  is  full  of  my  court  record,  which 
I  have  to  overlook  as  my  clerk  makes  it  out.  Sixty  pages  of 
foolscap  in  testimony  ought  to  cashier  a  man.  Another  case  is 
coming  before  our  court.  It  is  of  an  officer  charged  with  shoot 
ing  his  toes  off  to  keep  out  of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  What 
do  you  think  of  that  kind  of  a  hero  ?  I  think  him  a  notorious 
coward. 

Brigadier  General  Lucius  Fairchild  was  here  with  his   empty 


218 

coat  sleeve.  He  is  pale  and  thin.  He  will  be  elected.  He  is  to 
be  married  soon.  The  first  words  he  said  to  me  were  '  When  are 
you  going  to  be  shot  ?  You  are  the  luckiest  man  in  the  army.'  " 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NEAR  BRISTOE  STATION, 

OCTOBER  29th,  1863. 

"The  trial  of  Colonel  Jordon  is  over.  I  feel  as  though  I  had 
succeeded  as  well  as  I  had  a  right  to  expect.  Major  Pye,  the 
counsel  for  Colonel  Jordon,  issued  this  little  ration  of  soft  soap 
in  his  closing  address  :  'To  the  Judge  Advocate,  whose  qualities 
as  a  gentleman  and  an  officer  are  apparent  upon  all  occasions, 
and  who  has  conducted  this  case  with  a  fairness  and  ability  alike 
commendable  to  his  head  and  heart,  I  return  my  thanks.' " 

Major  Edward  Pye  had  been  a  Judge  of  the  Courts  in  New 
York,  and  it  wrould  be  quite  ungracious  to  say  less  than  that  he 
was  an  able  lawyer.  But  to  the  memory  of  my  esteemed  and 
congenial  friend,  and  my  heroic  comrade  at  Gettysburg,  who 
charged  with  us  upon  the  railroad  cut,  and  who  was  later  killed 
in  battle  while  leading  the  ninety-fifth  New  York  in  the  same 
gallant  manner,  I  here  offer  the  sincere  tribute  of  respect  and 
admiration.  He  was  a  pure,  high  minded  gentleman,  a  patriot 
who  cordially  sustained  all  the  measures  of  his  government  to 
crush  the  enemy,  and  a  hero  who  gave  his  life  freely  for  his 
country. 

Colonel  Jordon  was  convicted  by  the  Court  on  a  part  of  the 
charges  and  sentenced  to  be  dismissed  from  the  service.  He  was 
afterwards  re-instated  to  his  rank  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States.  The  Judge  Advocate  and  all  members  of  the  Court 
Martial  joined  in  recommending  this  action  in  consideration  of 
his  good  character  and  gallant  service  before  this  time.* 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NEAR  CATLETT'S  STATION,  ) 

NOVEMBER  ist,  1863.     j 

This  is  a  beautiful  Sabbath  day.  I  have  been  riding  on  my 
horse.  Twenty  months  ago  we  came  here,  the  advance  of  the 


*  Members  of  the  Court :  Brigadier  General  ,T  C.  Rice,  second  brigade, 
first  division  ;•  Colonel  J.  W.  Hoffman,  fifty-sixth  Pennsylvania ;  Colonel 
S.  H.  Leonard,  thirteenth  Massachucetts  ;  Colonel  P.  8  Davis,  thirty-ninth 
Massachusetts;  Colonel  L.  VVister,  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  Pennsylvania; 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Walton  Dwight,  one  hundred  and  forty-ninth  Pennsyl 
vania  ;  Lieutenant  Colonel  R.  R.  Dawes,  sixth  Wisconsin,  Judge  Advocate. 


219 

army,  and  more  pleasant  homes  are  seldom  found,  than  we  care 
fully  guarded  and  protected  then,  under  General  McDowell. 
Now  nothing  but  charred  ruins  and  ghostly  looking  chimneys 
mark  the  places  of  those  pretty  cottages.  Not  a  fence,  barn,  nor 
scarce  a  vestige  of  timber  remains  to  identify  the  spot.  In  place, 
the  country  is  covered  with  the  bones  of  dead  horses  and  mules, 
and  the  debris  of  abandoned  camps.  Unsightly  stumps  mark  the 
places  of  the  pleasant  groves.  It  is  hard  for  one  who  has  not 
seen,  to  imagine  the  horrid  desolation  wrought  by  war. 

The  rebel  army  made  a  complete  destruction  of  our  railroad, 
(Orange  &  Alexandria.)  In  the  cuts  they  put  first  a  layer  of 
pine  brush,  and  then  a  layer  of  dirt  and  stone  and  brush  again. 
You  can  imagine  the  bother  and  trouble  of  picking  out  such  a 
tangle.  The  cross  ties  and  railroad  iron,  they  built  up  in  kind  of 
cob  houses  and  then  set  the  ties  on  fire.  When  the  iron  was 
sufficiently  heated  they  bent  it  around  logs  in  fantastic  knots.  I 
saw  one  or  two  logs  standing  up,  adorned  with  neckties  of  rail 
road  iron,  upon  which  the  knots  were  quite  au  fait. 

I  saw  a  pontoon  train,  those  dismal  prophets  of  fighting  on 
the  Rappahannock,  moving  down  toward  the  river  this  morning. 
The  men  say  we  are  soon  to  be  on  the  march  when  the  boats 
come.  The  second  and  third  corps  are  in  front  of  us.  Since 
General  Reynolds  was  killed,  our  corps  does  not  seem  to  be 
selected  for  work  in  the  advance.  The  second  corps  now  does 
most  of  the  heavy  work  of  making  the  reconnoissances  and 
covering  the  retreats.  General  G.  K.  Warren  of  the  second 
corps  is  the  rising  young  general  of  this  army.  I  think  General 
Meade  intends  to  push  Lee  back  to  the  Rapidan  again  if  possible, 
and  Lee,  I  think,  will  go,  hoping  to  draw  Meade  into  a  general 
attack  upon  his  works.  We  are  now  a  kind  of  side  play.  The 
great  and  decisive  campaign  will  be  in  the  west.  There,  opera 
tions  can  be  carried  on  through  the  winter.  I  enclose  a  little 
bit  of  Virginia  cotton  that  I  picked  just  as  it  grew."* 


*This  letter  from  General  Cutler  deals  as  gently  as  possible  with  the  sad 
truth  it  discloses: 

"HEADQUARTERS  FIRST  DIVISION,  FIRST  ARMY  CORPS, 

BRISTOE,  VA.,  NOVEMBER  1st,  1863. 

Editor  State  Journal:    Rumors  have  reached  me,  from  time  to  time,  that 
the  remains  of  those  men  of  the  'Iron  Brigade,'  and  of  the  fifty-sixth  Penn- 


220 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)     NEAR  CATLETT'S,  NOVEMBER  2nd,  1863. 

"The  court  martial,  of  which  I  am  Judge  Advocate,  has  been 
re-convened  and  I  have  been  relieved  from  the  one  of  which  I 
was  President.  Day  after  to-morrow  we  are  to  try  the  officer 
who  had  charge  of  our  corps  ambulance  train,  for  leaving 
wounded  rebels  on  the  battle  field  at  Gettysburg  over  night  in  a 
rain  storm. 

The  cavalry  went  to  the  front  to-day.  Rumor  says  they  are 
going  to  Hartwood  Church,  near  Fredericksburgh.  General 
Kilpatrick  rode  by  to-day  with  his  usual  swagger.  I  hope  he 
will  handle  his  cavalry  better  than  he  did  at  Hay  market  on  the 
nineteenth  of  last  month.  He  was  awfully  thrashed  there.  The 
sick  were  all  ordered  away  from  the  army  to-day,  which  looks 
like  a  general  advance.  Our  corps  is  now  quite  in  the  rear  of  the 
army,  guarding  the  line  of  the  railroad  from  raids." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NOVEMBER  5th,  1863. 

"Our  Adjutant  (E.  P.  Brooks,)  was  captured  by  the  rebels 
to-day.  A  few  days  ago,  a  rather  handsome  young  lady  came  to 
our  camp  and  politely  solicited  a  guard  for  her  home,  two  miles 
away.  The  Adjutant  was  quite  attentive,  and  the  lady  seemed 
very  gracious.  Brooks  took  out  a  guard  for  the  premises.  To 
day  she  came  over  to  the  regiment  with  some  butter  to  repay  the 
kindness,  and  Brooks  was  happy  to  see  her  safely  home.  They 
were  both  on  horse  back.  Not  more  than  a  mile  from  camp, 
Mosby  with  a  few  other  particular  friends  of  the  lady,  stepped 
out  of  the  bushes  and  captured  our  badly  sold  companion  in 
arms.  He  is  to-night  walking  along  obscure  bridle  paths  on  a 
circuitous  route  to  lyibby  Prison,  while  a  rebel  cavalryman  has 


sylvania  and  seventy-sixth  New  York  volunteers,  who  fell  at  Gainesville  in 
the  bloody  fight  of  August  28th,  1862,  were  carelessly  buried.  Upon 
examination,  a  few  days  since,  while  passing  the  battle  field  on  our  way  to 
Thoroughfare  Gap,  it  was  found  to  be  true.  I  have  to-day  had  details  from 
all  the  regiments  who  fought  there  sent  to  the  ground,  under  the  charge  of 
Captain  Richardson,  of  the  seventh  Wisconsin.  They  have  carefully 
interred  the  remains.  Many  of  them  could  be  recognized  by  the  positions 
where  they  lay,  or  by  articles  found  about  them.  As  the  friends  of  those 
who  fell  will  doubtless  hear  of  the  loose  manner  of  the  first  burial,  I  write 
to  assure  them  that  all  has  been  done  that  could  be  to  give  them  decent 
burial.  Very  Respectfully, 

L.  CUTLER,  Brig.  Gen." 


221 

his  horse.     William  gave  me  the  news  thus:    'The  Adjutant  dun 
got  captivated.'* 

The  regiment  is  just  now  under  a  cloud.  That  rainy  night  at 
Brentsville,  some  men  of  our  brigade  were  guilty  of  robbing  and 
marauding.  General  Cutler  thinks  he  has  traced  some  of  the 
property  to  the  Sixth  regiment.  He  has  sent  an  order  requiring 
this  regiment  to  pay  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  at  his  head 
quarters  within  twelve  Ijours.  Colonel  Bragg  has  replied  to  this 
strange  demand  that  he  will  cheerfully  use  every  exertion  to  bring 
the  guilty  to  punishment.  General  Cutler  seems  to  think 
Colonel  Bragg  is  conniving  to  conceal  the  men  from  punishment, 
and  says  if  such  and  such  things  are  not  done,  he  will  apply  to 
the  Secretary  of  War  to  have  all  pay  stopped  from  the  regiment. 
Colonel  Bragg  says  he  will  do  anything  to  punish  the  guilty,  if 
there  are  such  in  our  regiment,  but  no  such  absurd  order  or  wild 
threat  shall  intimidate  him."t 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NEAR  CATI^KTT'S  STATION,  ) 

NOVEMBER  6th,  1863.     j 

"We  had  an  interesting  visitor  in  camp  to-day.  He  was  an  old 
school  Virginia  gentleman,  of  one  of  their  patrician  families. 
The  old  gentleman  was  a  pattern  of  method  and  precision  in  his 
manners,  and  there  was  the  urbanity  and  consideration  for  others 
of  the  true  gentlemen  of  the  real  old  stock.  He  said  that  he  had 
been  an  officer  in  the  'War  of  1812' — that  he  had  General  Washing 
ton's  own  pistols.  He  was  well  acquainted  with  President 
Madison  and  President  Monroe,  and  edified  us  with  anecdotes 
and  illustrations  of  the  men  of  his  day  and  generation.  His 
visit  was  much  enjoyed  by  us  all.  The  old  gentleman  was 
carried  away  by  talking,  and  he  said  :  'I  am  eighty  years  of  age. 
My  grandfather  was  a  Virginia  gentleman ;  my  great  grandfather 
was  a  Frenchman,  and,  begging  your  indulgence  to  an  old  man, 
I  thank  God  that  to-day  I  stand  as  they  would  in  this  struggle.' 
Said  I :  'My  dear  Sir,  your  enthusiasm  is  worthy  of  imitation  by 

*It  will  be  seen  by  this  letter  that  we  suspected  treachery.  The  guard 
was  withdrawn  by  Colonel  Bragg.  Brooks  is  not  to  be  blamed  for  going 
put,  as  he  had  been  there  to  place  the  guard.  He  did  not  himself  believe 
it  was  treachery,  which  would  have  been  .base  to  the  last  degree. 

tTo  be  taken  "cum  grano  salis.'  It  is  evident  I  was  a  little  out  of  humor 
at  the  writing. 


222 

us  who  are  younger,  but  your  cause  is  no  older  in  your  family 
than  ours  is  in  mine.  My  ancestors  came  to  New  England  when 
yours  came  to  Virginia,  and  they  flourished  in  Massachusetts, 
and  I  thank  God  I  live  in  the  day  to  fight  for  their  principles.' 
Said  the  old  gentleman:  'I  always  did  admire  a  full  blown 
Yankee.'  " 

(Better  to  M.  B.  G.)  NEAR  BRANDY  STATION,  ) 

NOVEMBER  gth,  1863.     j 

^"Saturday  morning  we  marched  from  Catletts  to  Morrison- 
ville,  and  Sunday  found  us  in  line  of  battle  with  the  rest  of  the 
army  at  Brandy  Station.  Our  corps  has  this  time  brought  up 
the  rear.  We  have  heard  continually  the  cannon  of  the  sixth 
and  the  third  corps  about  four  or  five  miles  in  front.  This 
morning  the  whole  army  seems  to  be  at  a  stand  still.  We,  as 
usual,  do  not  know  what  is  the  reason. 

I  just  heard  that  General  Kilpatrick  is  at  Stevensburgh.  If 
that  is  so,  the  enemy  have  retreated  beyond  the  Rapidan.  They 
would  not  give  us  possession  of  the  Stevensburgh  heights,  which 
command  the  ground  to  the  river,  without  a  contest.  The  day  is 
lowering  and  the  smoke  of  the  camp  fires  fills  our  eyes.  Sitting 
on  the  ground,  with  my  eyes  full  of  smoke,  letter  writing  is  hard 
work." 

CAMP  NEAR  BEVERLY  FORD,  RAPPAHANNOCK  RIVER,  ) 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NOVEMBER  nth,  1863.      j 

"Night  before  last  we  came  back  from  Brandy  Station  to  the 
north  side  of  the  Rappahannock  and  encamped.  Our  first  corps 
is  now  stretched  from  Manassas  Junction  to  this  point,  along 
the  line  of  the  Orange  &  Alexandria  railroad.  We  sent  men  out 
this  morning  with  six  days'  rations  to  work  on  the  railroad, 
which  is  still  uncompleted  from  Warrenton  Junction  to  the 
river.  We  are  busily  engaged  in  clearing  out  the  woods  and 
making  a  good  camp,  as  we  think  it  likely  that  we  shall  remain 
here  for  a  while.  I  told  you  about  a  difficulty  between  General 
Cutler  and  Colonel  Bragg.  It  has  all  blown  over.  Not  a  man 
was  punished,  and  not  a  cent  was  paid." 

Not  able  to  call  to  memory  the  facts  in  this  affair,  I  asked 
General  Bragg  for  his  recollections,  and  he  has  written  me  as 

*Page  614,  Volume  29,  War  Records. 


223 

follows :  "General  Cutler  sent  his  little  Orderly,  from  the  third 
Indiana  cavalry  up  to  me  with  an  order,  fining  the  regiment  two 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,*  and  ordering  it  to  be  paid  in  twelve  hours 
or  our  pay  would  be  suspended.  The  upshot  of  the  whole  thing 
was, — that  I  laughed  him  out  of  it  with  virtuous  indignation, 
that  the  Sixth  should  be  charged  with  the  thefts  of  the  fourteenth 
Brooklyn,  and  advised  him  to  find  out  the  true  culprit,  before  he 
took  such  action.  It  occurred  to  the  General  that  he  could  find 
out  himself,  and  he  summoned  Edwin  O  Jones  of  company  *E.' 
Jones  confessed  to  some  knowledge  of  the  affair,  and  upon  being 
re-assured  as  to  secresy  and  condign  punishment,  if  he  didn't  tell 
what  become  of  the  meat,  Jones  with  many  protestations  that 
he  didn't  want  to,  and  it  wouldn't  be  right,  yielded  and  told  him 
'he  saw  it  going  to  his  own  headquarters.'  This  was  the  last 
that  I  heard  of  the  attempt  to  prove  that  the  Sixth  ate  it." 

(I/etter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  BEVERLY  FORD,  VA.,  ) 

NOVEMBER  i2th,  1863.     j 

"Our  camp  is  pleasantly  located  in  a  fine  grove  of  timber. 
The  nights  are  frosty,  but  when  we  are  in  camp  we  can  provide 
against  that.  The  Doctor  (Hall)  and  I  have  built  a  log  crib, 
eight  feet  long,  four  feet  wide,  and  two  feet  deep,  and  packed  it 
full  of  dry  leaves,  which  makes  us  a  warm  and  comfortable  bed." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  BEVERLY  FORD,  NOVEMBER  isth,  1863. 

"There  is  as  I  write,  heavy  firing  in  front,  and  we  are  under 
orders  to  be  ready  to  move.  The  enemy  seems  to  be  reconnoiter- 
ing  or  advancing,  for  the  firing  is  nearer  than  Cedar  Mountain. 

We  have  not  marched  to-day,  and  I  think  now  that  we  will 
not,  but  I  am  obliged  to  go  on  picket  duty  to-night,  'miserabile 
dictu?  Captain  Philip  W.  Plummer  and  two  enlisted  men  from 
each  company,  are  starting  home  on  recruiting  service  and  to  take 
charge  of  conscripts  for  this  regiment,  as  there  is  a  draft  going 
on.  You  may  be  sure  these  men  are  highly  delighted." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NOVEMBER  i6th,  ON  PICKET. 

"I  have  had  a  grand  gallop  over  the  country  this  beautiful 
morning,  reorganizing  and  re-adjusting  the  picket  line  of  the  first 
army  corps.  The  first,  night  we  came  here  some  one  established 

*My  contemporary  statement,  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  is  probably 
correct. 


224 

the  line  only  a  few  rods  from  the  camps,  and  it  became  my  duty  to 
correct  it.  Our  first  corps'  camps  are  now  safely  guarded.  Every 
thing  looks  as  if  our  army  was  soon  to  make  another  campaign." 

I  here  received  a  leave  of  absence  for  ten  days  and  hastened  to 
Marietta,  Ohio.  In  making  a  third  effort  to  secure  a  leave  of 
absence,  I  went  in  person  to  corps  headquarters.  My  application 
had  the  usual  "urgent"  endorsements  which  plaintively  appealed 
that  I  should  be  granted  the  favor.  General  John  Newton,  now 
best  known  as  the  man  who  blew  up  Hell  Gate,  looked  my  paper 
over  and  I  saw  no  hope  in  his  eye.  "Colonel,"  said  he,  "you 
give  no  reason  for  this  application!"  "What's  the  use  of  giving 
a  reason !"  said  I,  "sickness  or  death  in  the  family,  or  business 
complications  are  rejected  as  reasons  in  the  orders."  "Yes,"  said 
the  General.  "Have  you  any  other  reason  ?"  "I  have,"  said  I, 
"I  want  very  much  to  see  my  girl."  "All  right,  Colonel,  you 
have  stated  a  reason  not  forbidden  in  the  orders,  and  I  will 
endorse  that  you  have  'a  good  and  sufficient  reason.'  '  I  got  all 
I  asked,  ten  days  leave  of  absence  to  visit  Ohio.  General  New 
ton  made  two  friends  by  this  level-headed,  official  action. 

This  short  visit  is  remembered  as  an  oasis  in  the  desert  of  my 
military  life.  The  weather  was  delightful,  and  that  dreamy  haze, 
called  Indian  summer,  was  upon  the  hills  and  valleys  of  Southern 
Ohio.  For  four  days,  a  young  couple,  oblivious  to  all  others, 
wandered  over  the  hills  or  drove  on  the  beautiful  roads.  Owing 
to  the  exigencies  of  the  military  service,  this  four  days  was  all 
the  opportunity  we  had  for  meeting  until  our  wedding. 

During  my  absence,  the  army  marched  from  its  camps  to 
engage  in  the  Mine  Run  campaign. 

MINK  RUN. 

(Better  to  M.  B.  G.)      LINE  OF  BATTLE  BEFORE  THE  ENEMY,  )  - 

SOUTH  OF  THE  RAPIDAN,  NOVEMBER  28th,  1863.      j 

"We  are  lying   in   mud   and   water   in   hourly  expectation  of 

moving  forward  to  attack  the  rebel  army  in  front,  in  plain  view. 

I  caught  the  regiment  yesterday  after  a  hard  chase  and  in  a  half 

an  hour  we  were  in  a  skirmish  with  *Rosser's  rebel  cavalry.     I 

*Volume  XXIX,  Page  689,  War  Records,  Report  of  General  L.  Cutler. 

"    687,      "          "         Report  of  General  John  Newton. 
-      "  "  "    904,      "         "         Confederate  Colonel  T.  L.  Rosser. 


-    .. 


225      . 

got  to  the  Rappahannock  Thursday  evening  and  traveled  all 
night  in  an  ambulance.  I  am  just  in  time  to  be  in  the  great  battle. 
I  am  sitting  on  a  knapsack  in  the  pine  woods,  my  eyes  filled  with 
smoke  and  the  clouds  full  of  rain.  *We  had  one  man  shot  yester 
day  in  the  skirmish  with  Rosser's  cavalry,  lost  an  arm.  The 
rebels  are  digging  entrenchments  as  fast  as  they  can  and  the 
skirmishers  keep  up  a  continual  and  murderous  duel." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  SUNDAY  EVENING,  NOVEMBER  29th. 

"We  are  still  lying  in  smoke  and  chilly  air  waiting  our  sum 
mons  for  battle  and  catching  with  eagerness  every  rumor.  Once 
to-day  we  formed  a  column  of  assault  to  charge  upon  the  enemy's 
entrenchments;  but  the  fearful  task  was  not  attempted.  The 
enemy  are  here  in  great  force  and  they  have  worked  like  beavers 
at  their  fortifications.  Day  before  yesterday  a  bullet  cut  a  hole  in 
my  hat  and  fairly  brushed  my  face  and  I  was  covered  with  dirt  by 
a  shell  yesterday.  I  wished  myself  again  on  the  hill  tops  of 
Ohio.  It  is  now  so  near  night  that  I  look  for  no  battle  to-day." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  MITCHELL'S  FORD,  RAPIDAN  RIVER,  ) 

DECEMBER  2nd,  1863.     } 

"The  battle  did  not  occur,  but  great  suffering  and  toil  was  un 
dergone  by  our  army.  We  marched  all  night  last  night  on  our 
retreat  and  suffered  intensely  from  cold.  To-night  we  are  north 
of  the  Rapidan.  Every  preparation  was  made  by  General 
Meade  to  charge  upon  the  rebel  entrenchments.  The  slaughter 
would  have  been  great  and  we  feel  thankful  to  have  been  spared. 
I  can  hardly  tell  you  how  tired,  sleepy  and  worn  out  we  all  are 
to-night.  Our  brigade  is  alone  here  at  Mitchell's  Ford.  Our 
corps  is  at  Stevensburgh." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  KELLY'S  FORD,  ) 

DECEMBER  4th,  1863.      ) 

"To-night,  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  Marietta,  I  have  an 
evening  that  I  can  feel  is  my  own.  Our  communications  have 
been  interfered  with  or  suspended,  so  that  I  fear  you  have  not 
received  my  letters.  I  got  safely  to  Washington  Wednesday 


*Isaiah  F.  Kelly,  company  "B." 


,      226 

night  and  secured  my  pass*  to  the  front.  I  left  for  the  army  on 
the  last  train  that  went  down  Thursday  morning  and  that  train 
they  had  once  decided  not  to  send,  as  the  whole  army  was  mov 
ing  to  parts  unknown.  We  reached  Rappahannock  station  at 
four  o'clock  P.  M.,  and  the  army  was  gone,  nobody  could  tell 
certainly  where.  By  hard  work  and  good  luck  I  found  a  mail 
ambulance  belonging  to  the  fifth  army  corps  headquarters,  and  by 
dint  of  persuasion  and  a  can  of  preserved  peaches,  I  prevailed 
upon  the  men  in  charge  to  let  me  ride  with  them  in  their  pursuit 
of  the  army.  We  had  a  freezing  night's  ride.  While  we  were 
blundering  along  in  the  dark,  asking  every  straggler  we  could 
find  which  road  the  troops  had  taken,  we  were  at  one  time  com 
pletely  at  a  loss  when  a  drunken  straggler  was  overtaken  who 
swore  in  round  oaths  that  the  fifth  corps  had  gone  to  'Jemima 
Ford's.'  He  could  not  be  shaken  in  this  statement.  After  puz 
zling  over  it,  I  suggested  that  we  try  the  road  to  Germania  Ford. 
At  midnight  we  found  our  own  wagon  train  at  Germania  Ford. 
Here  I  donned  my  fighting  armor,  borrowed  a  horse,  and  at  day 
light  started  in  pursuit  of  the  army.  About  ten  o'clock  A.  M.,  I 
overtook  the  column  of  the  first  corps  near  Chaneellorsville  and 
resumed  my  post,  my  leave  of  absence  not  having  expired  by  six 
hours  when  I  reached  the  regiment.  In  a  very  few  moments, 
musketry  was  heard  in  front  and  our  regiment  was  ordered  for 
ward  double  quick.  We  deployed  the  men  as  skirmishers  in  the 
woods.  We  had  been  marching  on  a  narrow  road  through  thick 
woods,  our  regiment  the  advance  of  the  first  corps.  Ahead  of  us 
was  a  wagon  train  of  the  fifth  corps.  Most  of  the  wagons  were 
loaded  with  ammunition.  The  rebel  cavalry  under  Colonel 
Rosser  came  in  by  a  cross  road  through  the  woods  and  attacked 
this  wagon  train,  driving  away  the  guards.  It  was  a  bold  dash 
to  come  in  between  two  army  corps.  We  hurried  forward  through 

*No.  294.  HEADQUARTERS  MILITARY  DISTRICT  OF  WASHINGTON,  ) 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  NOVEMBER  25th,  1863.     / 

Pass  Lieutenant  Colonel  Rufus  Dawes  to  Army  Potomac,  for  the  purpose 
of  joining  command,  via  government  boat  and  rail. 
This  Pass  will  expire  November  26th,  1863. 
By  order  JOHN  H.  MARTINDALE, 

.  Brig.  Gen.  and  Military  Governor. 
Issued  by  E.  BENTLY,  H.  C.  LOCKWOOD, 

Captain  and  A.  A.  A.  G.  Captain  and  Aide-de-Camp. 


227 

the  thick  woods  and  opened  fire  on  the  rebels  as  they  were  trying 
to  hurry  off  the  wagons.  They  promptly  returned  our  fire  and, 
for  a  few  moments,  the  shots  cracked  and  whizzed  around  our 
heads.  We  quickly  drove  them  away,  killing  and  wounding 
several  of  their  men.  Before  they  retreated  they  set  fire  to  a 
number  of  ammunition  wagons  which  blew  up  with  loud  and 
continued  explosions,  scattering  shot,  shell  and  wagon  wheels  all 
over  the  country.  One  of  our  men  was  shot.  A  rebel  cavalry 
man  took  fair  aim  at  me  and  his  bullet  cut  a  hole  in  my  hat.  He 
had  on  a  blue  United  States  overcoat  and  so  our  men  had  not 
fired  at  him.  But  when  he  shot  at  me,  John  Kilmartin  of  com 
pany  'G'  drew  a  bead  on  him  and  shot  him  dead.  Under  his 
blue  overcoat  we  found  the  rebel  gray.  ^Friday  night  we  reached 
Locust  Grove  in  our  advance  against  the  enemy.  Saturday 
morning,  together  with  the  second  corps,  we  moved  in  line  of 
battle  driving  the  enemy  before  us  through  the  woods  for  three 
miles  when  we  met  General  Ewell's  corps  in  line  of  battle  at 
Mine  Run.  The  skirmishing  was  very  hot,  but  we  (ourselves) 
were  subjected  mainly  to  artillery  fire.  On  Saturday,  Sunday, 
Monday  and  Tuesday,  we  grimly  faced  the  enemy,  hourly  ex 
pecting  to  be  ordered  to  attack  his  works.  During  all  this  tim«, 
there  was  a  soaking  rain  until  the  weather  turned  so  bitterly  cold 
that  several  men  on  the  skirmish  line  are  said  to  have  frozen  to 
death.  As  we  were  without  shelter,  we  suffered  much.  Tuesday 
night  we  retreated  back  across  the  Rapidan  river.  Wednesday 
morning  our  brigade  marched  to  Mitchell's  ford  to  meet  and  re 
sist  any  attempt  at  crossing  by  the  enemy.  Thursday  we  marched 
to  Mountain  Run  and  to-day  we  came  here  (Kelly's  Ford)  and 
went  into  camp." 

I  give  extracts  from  General  Bragg's  letter,  written  in  response 
to  my  request  for  some  incidents  or  personal  recollections  of 
Mine  Run. 

"Do  you  remember  a  Council  of  War,  to  determine  whether 
we  could  carry  the  line  in  front  of  us,  that  cold  December  day  at 
Mine  Run?  *Your  commanding  officer  voted  No  !  I  had  Major 
Hauser,  who  was  something  of  an  engineer,  make  a  reconnois- 

*Colonel  Bragg. 


228 

sance  and  report.  He  said  the  run  was  breast  deep  with  water, 
covered  with  a  thin  ice,  and  the  opposite  bank  was  protected  by  a 
heavy  abattis,  made  by  trees  with  tops  felled  from  the  opposite 
bank  into  the  stream,  and  also  that  beyond  the  abattis  covering 
the  slope  were  batteries  in  position.  All  this  I  explained  to  the 
doughty  warriors  who  voted  that  the  position  could  be  carried, 
but  it  was  no  good  !  They  voted  the  way  they  thought  would 
please  the  powers  that  were.  The  order  in  the  morning  was  to 
charge  down  the  slope,  cross  the  stream, — and  carry  the  line 
beyond, — the  movement  to  commence  at  a  signal  gun  on  the 
right,  at  or  about  eight  o'clock  A.  M.  Our  line  was  formed  and 
arms  stacked,  with  big  fires  on  the  front  to  keep  from  freezing, 
while  we  waited  for  the  order  to  move  on  to  almost  certain  death. 

On  looking  along  the  line,  I  saw  some  yellow-headed  ganders, 
in  Hauser's  'herd  of  goose,'  (company  'H,')  playing  poker,  for 
postal  currency  as  stakes.  I  said :  'Can't  you  find  anything  to 
do  but  that  ? '  They  looked  up  and  said  in  pigeon  English : 
'Dis  will  be  no  good  to  us,  after  de  charge,  we  want  all  the  fun 
we  can  get.' 

You  remember  'Big'  Harry  Dunn,  of  company  'K,'  Scotch- 
Irish.  His  father  was  a  man  of  position  in  Edinburgh.  Harry, 
you  know,  deserted  at  Belle  Plaine,  because,  being  so  large,  he 
could  not  get  any  clothes  that  he  could  get  into,  but  he  was  brought 
back,  sentenced  to  some  dire  punishment,  and  pardoned  for  being 
so  good  a  soldier.  He  had  committed  a  crime  in  a  foolish  pet. 
Harry  that  morning,  when  we  were  waiting  orders  to  charge, 
called  me  to  one  side  and  said:  'Write  a  good  report  to  the  old 
Governor  about  me,  and  tell  him  I  was  a  brave  soldier,  and 
please  don't  say  anything  about  that  Belle  Plaine  affair.'  Said  I: 
'Why,  what's  the  matter  Harry?  I  am  as  likely  to  be  killed  as 
you, — why  give  me  the  message?'  'Oh  no,'  said  he,  'you  ain't 
half  as  big  as  I  am.  My  chances  are  two  to  one  against  yours,' 
and, — the  orders  were  countermanded  and  no  charge  was  made 
at  all." 


XI. 

At  Kelly's  Ford— "All  Nail  to  Old  Abe  .'"—Question  of  Veteran  Re- 
enlistment — My  Brother  Reports  From  Sherman's  Corps — To 
Culpepper— Kindness  From  a  Rebel— Living  in  Houses— Vet 
eran  Excitement—Regiment  Re-enlists,  and  Goes  to  Wisconsin 
—I  go  to  Marietta— A  Grand  Reception  at  Milwaukee— A  Quiet 
Wedding  at  Marietta— A  Wedding  Trip— A.  Happy  Accident— In 
Ohio—In  Camp  Again  at  Culpepper— General  U.  S.  Grant— Oblit 
eration  of  the  old  First  Aitmy  Corps— The  Fifth  Corps— General 
G.  K,  Warren — A  New  England  Clergyman — Colonel  Bragg's 
"Religious  Affiliations" —General  Grant  on  Review — Major 
Philip  W.  Plummer — Preparations — Minor  Faults  in  the  Manage 
ment  of  Military  Affairs— A  new  Chaplain— We  win  First 
Honors  on  Inspection— Adjutant  Broolfs  Returns— Chess— Court 
Martial— Crime— Indians— "We  move  at  Midnight." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  KELLY'S  FORD,  ) 

DECEMBER  yth,  1863.     j 

"Doctor  Hall  and  I  are  fixing  up  our  quarters  for  cold  weather. 
We  do  not  feel  sure  that  we  will  stay  here  for  the  winter,  but  we 
hope  to.  Our  men  have  built  fine  log  cabins  and  the  encampment  of 
the  brigade  is  very  respectable.  It  is  curious  to  see  the  inge 
nuity  displayed  by  the  men  in  making  themselves  comfortable  in 
their  log  houses.  With  no  tool  but  the  little  hatchet,  they  house 
themselves  snugly  and  comfortably,  and  provide  all  the  necessary 
furniture.  To-morrow  we  will  be  fixed  up  in  our  cabin." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)        KELLY'S  FORD,  DECEMBER  icth,  1863. 

"To-night  we  are  in  our  cabin,  and  our  quarters  are  cheerful 
and  bright,  and  for  the  first  time  since  I  left  home  I  can  sit  down 
comfortably  to  write  a  letter.  Our  fireplace  is  a  complete  success 
and  our  chimney  is  all  of  brick.  Look  at  the  plan  of  our  winter 
house :  W.  B.  is  wood  box.  F.  P.,  fire  place. 


230 


Bed. 


Door 


10x10 


w 


Desk 


We  have  a  tight  board  floor  and  are  very  comfortably  estab 
lished  for  a  soldier's  winter.  We  are  tormented  by  rumors  of  a 
move  to  a  different  location. 

I  have  no  doubt  that  our  army  would  have  been  slaughtered 
and  defeated  in  any  assault  upon  the  enemy's  entrenched  line, 
(at  Mine  Run)  after  Sunday  evening.  The  morning  our  corps 
and  the  second  corps  pursued  the  enemy  from  Robertson's 
Tavern,  we  found  them  in  line  of  battle  beyond  Mine  Run,  with 
out  entrenchments.  Upon  that  day  and  the  next,  the  enemy 
might  have  been  attacked,  perhaps,  with  advantage.  All  honor 
to  General  Meade,  who  at  risk  of  personal  discomfiture,  and  at 
sacrifice  of  personal  pride,  had  the  moral  courage  to  order  a 
retreat  without  a  day  of  blood  and  National  humiliation  to 
demonstrate  its  necessity  to  every  dissatisfied  carper  among  the 
people." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)       KELLY'S  FORD,  DECEMBER  i2th,  1863. 

"What  a  noble  message  from  President  Lincoln.  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  say  that  I  think  him  a  great  statesman,  and  what  is 
better,  an  unselfish  patriot.  The  high  tone  of  this  message,  and 
the  unflinching  adherence  to  his  great  measure  of  Emancipation, 
must  command  the  respect  of  the  world  and  inspire  confidence 
in  the  ultimate  success  of  a  cause  so  firmly  planted  on  the  right. 
If  the  full  success  we  hope  shall  crown  our  struggle,  and  slavery 


231 

with  rebellion  be  swept  from  the  land,  the  name  of  Lincoln  will 
mark  on  history  a  grand  epoch  in  the  progress  of  civilization. 

The  author  of  the  Proclamation  that  gave  freedom  to  four 
millions  of  people,  and  brought  the  true  object  and  end  of  our 
battling  before  the  world,  that  placed  us  upon  ground  consistent 
with  the  fearful  sacrifices  we  have  made,  will  have  a  high  place  in 
the  respect  of  this  age  and  the  veneration  of  all  succeeding  ages. 
All  hail  to  old  Abe!  for  in  the  sure  omens  of  final  triumph  all 
around,  is  the  dawning  glory  of  his  name,  as  the  world's  greatest 
champion  of  freedom,  and  Republican  institutions.  This  is  not 
extravagant,  for  we  are  in  the  midst  of  grand  events,  and  the 
men  who  carve  their  names  as  representatives  of  the  triumph  of 
right  in  a  struggle  of  such  magnitude,  will  have  a  proud  distinc 
tion  in  history. 

We  are  watching  anxiously  the  action  of  Congress  on  the 
'Conscript  Law.'  The  three  hundred  dollars  exemption  clause 
will  probably  be  repealed.  The  Government  should  rely  entirely 
upon  filling  up  its  old  organizations  in  the  recruitment  of  its 
army.  This  regiment,  as  at  present  affected,  will  not  re-enlist. 
The  men  want  to  go  in  cavalry,  in  artillery,  in  the  navy,  or  in 
anything  but  the  business  of  transporting  Government  supplies 
in  a  knapsack  on  their  shoulders.  We  have  heard  from  our  re 
cruiting  party.  They  are  getting  no  recruits,  and  the  draft  in 
Wisconsin  brings  money,  as  I  supposed,  but  very  few  soldiers,  so 
we  are  not  likely  to  be  filled  up  with  conscripts." 

BARABOO,  WISCONSIN,  DECEMBER  8th,  1863. 
COLONEL  R.  R.  DAWES, 

DEAR  SIR: — "Our-elections  all  went  off  right  this  fall.     *Bully 

for  the  boys  in  blue.     They  did  their  duty,  excepting  the 

I  suppose  that  regiment  would  vote  for  Jeff.  Davis,  if  they  were 
told  that  he  was  a  Democrat.  Every  Badger  feels  proud  of  our 
own  'Iron  Brigade,'  and  well  they  ma}7,  for  no  other  has  such  a 
reputation  or  such  a  record. 

My  wounded  limb  is  getting  quite  comfortable.  I  am  however, 
badly  crippled.  I  get  around  with  two  canes  pretty  well.  I  can 
never  march  on  foot  again.  The  draft  is  over  here,  and  about 


'The  vote  of  the  soldiers  is  here  referred  to. 


one  in  twenty  of  those  drafted,  will  go  to  the  war.  They  nearly 
all  pay  their  regular  three  hundred  dollars,  (exemption  fee.)  I 
have  recruited  seventeen  men  recently,  and  all  but  one  go  in 
cavalry.  They  are  bound  to  ride.  I  have  tried  them  all  for  the 
Sixth,  but  it  is  no  use,  they  must  ride.  If  the  Sixth  was 
mounted,  it  could  be  filled  up.  /  could  go  then*  Sergeants 
Klein  and  Fletcher  are  here.  I  shall  do  all  I  can  to  assist  them, 
but  it  is  an  up-hill  business  to  recruit  for  infantry. 

The  merchants  are  all  getting  rich.  Remember  me  to  Colonel 
Bragg  and  Major  Hauser. 

I  shall  be  happy  to  hear  from  you.  Please  accept  my  best 
wishes  for  your  future  success,  prosperity  and  happiness.  A  glo 
rious  past  is  sure.  Very  truly  your  friend, 

D.  K.  NOYES." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NEAR  KEI^Y'S  FORD,  ) 

DECEMBER  i4th,  1863.     j 

"The  rain  is  pouring  down  in  floods,  and  mud  unfathomable  is 
the  order  of  things.  Colonel  Bragg  is  now  in  Washington  on  a 
seven  days  leave  of  absence,  fl  think  his  star  will  soon  rise 
above  the  horizon.  I  am  fixing  up  tne  camp  for  winter  quarters, 
corduroying  the  streets,  building  stables  and  mess  houses." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)        KEI^Y'S  FORD,  DECEMBER  i6th,  1863. 

"These  are  rumors  of  our  going  back  to  Centreville.  The 
depletion  of  the  army  by  sending  home  veterans,  and  from 
various  other  causes,  may  cause  such  a  movement.  We  are 
getting  settled  down  into  camp  life  with  the  usual  routine  of 
court  martial,  inspections,  picket,  and  fatigue  duty." 
(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  KEI^Y'S  FORD,  DECEMBER  2oth,  1863. 

"General  Meade  has  sent  orders  to  this  brigade  to  report  at 
once  how  many  men  will  re-enlist  as  veterans.  If  three  fourths 
of  the  members  of  a  regiment  who  are  within  his  department, 
agree  to  re-enlist,  the  regiment,  he  says,  will  be  ordered  home  for 
furlough  and  to  recruit.  Commanding  officers  were  directed  to 
submit  the  question  to  their  regiments.  I  called  the  regiment 
together,  and  spoke  to  them  for  half  an  hour,  explaining  fully 

*Captain  Noyes'  foot  was  torn  off  by  the  shell  at  Antietam. 

tHis  promotion  as  a  Brigadier  General,  which  had  long  been  promised. 


233 

and  as  fairly  as  I  could,  the  inducements  offered  by  the  Govern 
ment  to  re-enlist  as  veterans,  the  prospect  of  the  continuation  of 
war,  and  the  especial  advantages  of  re-organizing  as  the  Sixth 
regiment.  I  submitted  an  agreement  for  as  many  as  chose  to 
sign,  pledging  themselves  to  re-enlist  in  the  sixth  Wisconsin,  as 
a  veteran  volunteer  organization,  under  the  various  orders  on  the 
subject,  provided  the  regiment  should  immediately  upon  the 
re-enlistment  of  three  fourths  of  its  members  now  within  the 
department,  be  sent  to  Wisconsin  for  a  furlough  of  at  least  thirty 
days.  Something  over  eighty  men  have  signed  the  agreement,  but 
my  impression  is,  that  the  requisite  three  fourths  will  not  sign.' 
In  this  camp  I  received  a  letter  from  my  brother,  Major  K. 
C.  Dawes,  in  General  Sherman's  corps  : 

BRIDGEPORT,  ALABAMA,  DECEMBER  igth,  1863. 

"Safe  home  at  last;  home  to  tents,  blankets,  teams,  clothes, 
hard  tack,  coffee  and  pork.  It  was  a  hard  campaign,  that  in  East 
Tennessee,  but  I  would  not  have  missed  it  for  anything.  *  *  * 

I  cannot  now  give  details  of  our  march.  We  drew  no  rations 
from  November  twenty-ninth,  until  to-day,  (December  nineteenth.) 
Every  night  we  slept  in  the  open  air.  Every  day  we  marched 
from  seventeen  to  twenty-five  miles.  All  supplies  were  foraged 
from  the  country  or  brought  to  us  by  the  Union  people,  some  of 
whom  walked  miles  to  carry  food  to  the  Union  soldiers.  We 
cooked  our  meat  on  sticks  before  the  fire  and  made  corn  cakes  on 
flat  boards.  We  did  not  have  a  single  thing  on  wheels  with  our 
regiment,  except  one  old  ambulance  that  had  no  top.  Many  of 
our  men  were  without  shoes,  and  often  marched  over  frozen 
ground  with  bleeding  feet.  Very  few  made  any  complaint,  and 
none  straggled.  We  have  marched  continuously  since  leaving 
Memphis,  October  eleventh,  without  halting  at  any  one  place 
over  two  days." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CAMP  NEAR  KELLY'S  FORD, 

DECEMBER  22nd,  1863. 

"Is  the  regiment  going  to  re-enlist?  Very  doubtful.  One 
hundred  and  forty-eight  men  have  signed,  up  to  to-night.  I  go 
on  picket  for  two  days  in  the  morning." 


234 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER  COURT  HOUSE,  ) 

DECEMBER  27th,  1863.     j 

"Excuse  my  pencil.  Our  wagons  are  loaded.  We  have  had  a 
hard  time  the  past  two  days.  I  went  on  picket  on  Wednesday 
morning.  Thursday  at  daylight,  the  coldest  day  this  winter,  our 
corps  left  its  winter  quarters.  I  had  a  very  severe  time  gathering 
up  the  picket  line  about  four  miles  long.  About  the  middle  of 
the  afternoon  we  reached  Culpepper,  and  I  had  to  work  hard 
until  night  to  establish  a  new  picket  line.  I  remained  on  the 
line  all  night.  This  morning  our  regiment  was  ordered  tempo 
rarily  into  empty  houses  in  the  village  of  Culpepper,  until  the 
severe  storm  now  raging  is  over." 

I  received  an  especial  kindness  on  the  cold  afternoon  of  our 
arrival  at  Culpepper  from  a  rebel  citizen.  There  were  about 
twelve  hundred  men  in  the  picket  details,  and  I  had  to  establish 
them  on  a  line  of  four  or  five  miles  according  to  points  designa 
ted  and  given  me.  But  pitying  the  cold  and  forlorn  condition  of 
the  men,  this  gentleman  helped  me  by  his  familiar  knowledge 
of  localities  and  roads.  His  only  concern  was  lest  his  rebel 
neighbors  might  know  of  his  kindness  and  misinterpret  it.  His 
name  was  Jack  Pendleton,  and  he  had  served  as  a  member  of  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  before  the  war.  This  assistance 
enabled  my  picket  reserves  to  make  their  tin  cups  full  of 
hot  and  refreshing  coffee,  before  the  darkness  ot  a  cold  and 
stormy  night  prevented  them  from  gathering  fuel  for  their  fires. 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CULPEPPER  COURT  HOUSE,  ) 

DECEMBER  28th,  1863.     j 

"We  are  still  in  the  houses  in  the  village,  but  are  expecting  an 
order  that  will  send  us  out  into  the  winter  storm  and  mud 
General  Cutler  has  just  called  in.  He  says  he  thinks  it  is  all 
right,  and  that  wre  can  stay  in  the  houses.  We  have  a  pleasant 
room,  with  a  fire  place,  on  the  second  floor  of  a  respectable  house. 
The  officers  of  the  corps  and  division  staff  are  scattered  around 
in  comfortable  houses  in  the  village.  Such  quarters  for  the 
winter  would  be  grand.  Three  fourths  of  the  men  of  our  regi 
ment  are  disposed  to  re-enlist,  but  objections  are  raised  to  sending 
them  home  as  a  regiment.  The  men  will  not  go  in  any  other 


235 

way   and   if  this   point   is   insisted   upon,    the   chance   of   their 
re-enlistment  is  gone." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CUI/PEPPER  COURT  HOUSE, 

DECEMBER  3oth,  1863. 
"We  are  still  in  Culpepper,  and  our  men  are  very  comfortable 
in  houses.  As  I  write  now,  the  room  is  full  of  officers,  talking 
and  brawling  over  the  veteran  question,  and  I  cannot  think  of 
anything  else  in  this  awful  clatter.  We  have  fine  quarters,  a 
large  house,  one  room  for  an  office,  one  for  reception  room  and 
one  for  a  kitchen." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  DECEMBER  3ist,  1863. 

"The  veteran  excitement  is  unabated.  We  have  present  in  this 
army  two  hundred  and  ninety  enlisted  men,  who  can  re-enlist  as 
veterans.  Of  this  number,  three  fourths  must  re-enlist  to  have 
the  regiment  ordered  to  Wisconsin.  To-night,  one  hundred  and 
ninety-five  men  have  been  sworn  in.  It  needs  twenty-three  more 
men.  Our  detached  men  who  have  been  cooks,  for  officers, 
hostlers,  clerks,  and  teamsters,  of  whom  there  are  sixty-eight, 
nearly  all  decline  to  re-enlist,  but  the  men  who  have  stood  by  the 
old  flag  through  fair  and  foul  weather,  and  through  many  bloody 
battles,  almost  to  a  man  dedicate  their  lives  and  service  anew  to 
their  country.  These  men  who  have  stood  day  after  day  in  the 
presence  of  death,  who  have  endured  every  sort  of  privation  and 
and  suffering,  present  an  example  that  should  bring  a  blush  of 
shame  to  the  brows  of  the  young  men  who  have  failed  their 
country  at  this  crisis." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CULPEPPER  COURT  HOUSE,  ] 

JANUARY  2nd,  1864.      j 

"To-night  the  quota,  twro  hundred  and  seventeen  men  and  five 
recruits,  have  been  sworn  in.  We  are  busily  engaged  in  muster 
ing  the  regiment  as  veterans.  If  no  unforseen  accident  inter 
venes,  the  regiment  will  be  on  its  way  west  next  Thursday  or 
Friday." 

HEADQUARTERS  SIXTH  WISCONSIN  VETERAN  VOLUNTEERS, 
(Letter  to  M.  B  G.)  CULPEPPER  COURT  HOUSE, 

JANUARY  4th,  1864. 

"Yesterday  we  unfurled  our  flag  from  the  windows  of  head 
quarters  in  token  of  success.  'We  have  hung  our  banner  on  the 


236 

outer  wall,  and  the  cry  is  still  they  come.'  There  are  two 
hundred  and  thirty-three  men  sworn  in,  and  five  companies 
mustered." 

(Letter  to  M.  B.  G.)  CULPEPPER  COURT  HOUSE,  \ 

JANUARY  6th,  1864.      j 

"The  regiment  is  paid  in  full,  and  camp  and  garrison  equipage 
has  been  turned  over  to  the  Quartermaster's  department,  and 
everything  is  in  readiness.  I  rode  yesterday  through  snow  and 
mud  to  army  headquarters,  fifteen  miles  there  and  back,  to  get 
the  order  to  go  to  Wisconsin.  General  Williams  (Seth  Williams, 
A.  A.  t>.  Army  of  the  Potomac,)  said  the  order  would  be  made, 
but  he  would  not  give  it  to  me,  and  he  has  since  telegraphed 
that  six  hundred  men  only  can  be  sent  away  from  the  first  army 
corps.  This  may  cut  us  out  altogether.  I  represented  the 
interest  of  the  regiment  at  army  headquarters  the  best  I  was  able, 
and  felt  troubled  not  to  have  succeeded  in  getting  the  order,  for 
the  men  are  impatient  and  suspicious,  after  being  trifled  with  so 
much.  The  seventh  Wisconsin  has  gone,  and  is  now  far  on  its 
way  to  Wisconsin." 

The  order  came  on  a  bitterly  cold  afternoon.  The  re-enlisted 
regiment  took  freight  cars  for  Alexandria,  on  their  way  to  Wis 
consin.  The  men  who  did  not  re-enlist  and  the  recruits, 
remained  in  the  camp  of  the  second  Wisconsin,  which  did  not 
re-enlist  as  an  organization.  We  were  all  night  on  the  Orange 
and  Alexandria  railroad  without  fires,  and  there  was  great 
suffering.  One  man  was'  so  severely  frozen  that  he  was  left  in 
the  hospital  at  Alexandria.  We  proceeded  west  via  Baltimore, 
Harrisburgh,  and  Pittsburg.  At  Pittsburg  I  left  the  regiment 
and  went  to  Marietta,  Ohio,  where  I  arrived  January  i4th,  1864. 

The  regiment  met  with  a  splendid  reception  upon  its  arrival  at 
Milwaukee.  The  Board  oT  Trade  of  the  city  provided  a  dinner 
at  the  Newhall  House,  and  public  exercises  were  conducted  in 
the  hall  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  In  an  account  of  the 
affair,  the  Milwaukee  Sentinel  says :  "The  Sixth  regiment  pro 
ceeded  from  their  quarters  at  Broadhead's  Block,  to  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  escorted  by  six  companies  of  the  thirtieth  Wiscon 
sin  under  Colonel  Daniel  J.  Dill, — formerly  a  Captain  in  the 
Sixth, — and  the  Milwaukee  Light  Infantry  under  Captain  Nazro. 


237 

At  a  few  minutes  past  one  o'clock  the  cortege  made  its  appear 
ance,  headed  by  Christian  Bach's  excellent  band,  playing  :  'The 
Year  of  Jubilee.'  The  veterans  marched  into  the  hall  and  the 
escort  was  dismissed.  As  the  regiment  entered,  they  were 
greeted  with  salvos  of  cheers.  They  formed  in  the  center  of  the 
room  in  close  column  by  company,  and  at  the  command  of 
Colonel  Bragg,  brought  their  pieces  to  an  order  with  a  thug  that 
elicited  rounds  of  applause." 

The  address  of  welcome  was  made  by  Ex-Governor  Salomon. 
General  Fairchild,  Secretary  of  State  of  Wisconsin,  and  Mayor 
O'Neill  of  Milwaukee,  made  speeches  of  welcome,  and  other 
prominent  citizens  of  Milwaukee  took  part  in  the  speech  making. 

My  purpose  in  leaving  the  regiment  at  Pittsburg  was  to  fulfill 
my  engagement  of  marriage  with  my  correspondent,  M.  B.  G. 
The  wedding  took  place  Monday  morning,  January  i8th,  1864, 
at  half  past  five  o'clock,  at  the  residence  of  Beman  Gates,  in 
Marietta,  Ohio.  The  ceremony  was  performed  by  Rev.  Thomas 
Wickes,  D.  D.  There  were  few  guests  present  beside  the  family 
connections  residing  in  Marietta.  My  wife  and  I  immediately 
took  the  train  for  the  west  to  join  the  regiment  at  Milwaukee. 
A  heavy  snow  storm  set  in  which  delayed  our  progress.  We 
were  all  day  getting  from  Cincinnati  to  Hamilton,  Ohio,  twenty- 
four  miles.  A  day  was  consumed  going  from  Hamilton  to 
Valparaiso,  Indiana.  At  this  point  we  found  a  strike  of  locomo 
tive  engineers  on  the  Pittsburg,  Ft.  Wayne  &  Chicago  R.  R.,  and 
we  took  a  sleigh  and  drove  across  the  country  twelve  miles,  to 
the  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  where  we  boarded  a  freight  train 
and  arrived  in  Chicago  on  Thursday  evening,  in  triumph  in  the 
caboose.  Of  course  under  such  circumstances,  the  trip  was  in 
every  respect  delightful.  We  reached  Milwaukee  Friday  evening, 
where  the  headquarters  of  the  regiment  during  the  veteran 
furlough  was  established.  During  our  stay  of  about  four  weeks, 
we  were  at  the  Newhall  House  a  part  of  the  time,  and  a  part  of 
the  time  with  the  family  of  a  Mr.  Roddis.  Here  we  met  conge 
nial  and  sympathizing  fellow  boarders,  in  Mr.  J.  Middleton 
Arnold  and  wife,  who,  like  ourselves  were  an  extremely  newly 
married  couple.  Mr.  Arnold  was  a  soldier  in  the  twenty  fourth 
Wisconsin,  and  his  wife  was  from  Ipswich,  Massachusetts. 


238 

My  wife,  who  had  followed  every  movement  of  our  regiment 
through  my  correspondence,  saw  in  a  hall  in  Broadhead's  Block } 
the  stacks  of  muskets  with  belts  and  cartridge  boxes  hanging 
upon  them,  as  left  by  the  column  when  broken  for  the  men  to 
visit  their  homes.  She  never  saw  more  than  this  of  the  sixth 
Wisconsin  regiment.  As  I  was  riding  on  the  icy  streets  in  the 
city  of  Milwaukee  on  my  crippled  horse,  which  had  been  shot  at 
Gettysburg,  the  animal  fell  in  turning  a  corner.  My  left  ankle 
was  dislocated  and  badly  sprained.  I  was  unable  to  walk  without 
crutches  for  several  weeks,  and  obtained  a  leave  of  absence  upon 
a  surgeon's  certificate  of  disability,  and  I  accompanied  my  wife 
to  Marietta,  Ohio.  This  accident  was  regarded  as  a  great  piece 
of  good  fortune.  Upon  the  expiration  of  the  veteran  furlough, 
the  regiment  returned  to  its  camp  near  Culpepper,  Virginia.  I 
was  unable  to  return  to  the  field  until  the  twenty-first  of  March, 
1864. 

HEADQUARTERS  SIXTH  WISCONSIN  VETERAN  VOLUNTEERS,  ) 
(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  MARCH,  22nd,  1864.      j 

"I  arrived  safely  last  night.  I  came  down  with  General  Cutler, 
who  provided  me  with  a  good  dinner  and  gave  me  an  ambulance 
in  which  to  ride  over  to  camp.  (I  was  still  lame  from  the  effects 
of  my  sprain.)  I  found  the  regiment  encamped  two  miles  from 
Culpepper  and  quite  comfortably  quartered.  There  are  one 
hundred  and  eleven  recruits,  and  more  are  coming.  William 
Jackson  was  delighted  with  the  pipe  you  sent  him.  He  is  now 
chief  steward  of  our  mess. 

Major  Hauser's  resignation  has  been  accepted,  and  he  has 
gone.  General  Grant  is  fixing  up  headquarters  in  Culpepper 
village.  He  will  be  a  near  neighbor  to  us.  He  shows  good 
judgment  in  establishing  himself  with  the  first  army  corps.  The 
impression  here  is  that  our  army,  properly  re-inforced  and 
strengthened,  will  make  a  vigorous  advance  on  Richmond." 

(To  my  wife.)  HEADQUARTERS  SIXTH  WISCONSIN  VOLS.,  | 

MARCH  22nd,  1864.      j 

"I  am  on  my  old  duty  again.  I  received  yesterday  a  detail  as 
President  of  the  general  court  martial  of  our  division.  Our  court 
will  sit  near  General  Grant's  headquarters  and  I  shall  see  the  hero 
of  the  day  often.  He  is  to  arrive  in  Culpepper  to-morrow.  My 


ankle  gets  stronger  every  day  but  I  am  still  quite  lame.     General 

James  S.  Wadsworth  is  to  command  our  division." 

(To  my  wife.)  MARCH  24th,  1864. 

I  was  greatly  surprised  yesterday  to  see  Captain  William  J\ 
Dawes  (eighth  Wisconsin)  come  riding  into  camp.  On  account 
of  a  very  severe  wound  in  his  foot,  received  at  Corinth,  he  is 
going  into  the  veteran  reserve  corps.  This  morning  we  are  to 
ride  over  to  Pony  mountain  to  see  the  rebels  beyond  the  Rapidan. 
The  weather  has  been  very  cold  and  there  is  not  less  than  six. 
inches  of  snow  on  the  ground,  but  it  is  a  fine  morning  and  a 
pleasant  day  to  ride. 

Seven  o'clock  P.  M. — We  have  returned  from  our  ride  to  the 
signal  station  on  Pony  mountain.  We  came  through  Culpepper 
just  in  time  to  see  General  Grant.  He  looks  like  a  plain  common 
sense  man,  one  not  to  be  puffed  up  by  position  nor  abashed  by 
obstacles." 

HEADQUARTERS  SIXTH  WISCONSIN  VETERAN  VOLUNTEERS,  ) 
FIRST  DIVISION,  FIRST  ARMY  CORPS,  MARCH  26th,  1864.      } 

(To  my  wife.) 

"The  room  in  which  our  court  martial  sits  is  opposite  General 
Grant's  headquarters.  We  see  him  every  day.  He  looks  differ 
ently  from  what  I  had  expected  and  my  impressions  are  favorable. 
He  holds  the  life  of  the  Nation  almost  in  his  own  hands.  God 
help  him  and  our  country  !  There  is  a  desperate  struggle  before 
us.  Both  sections  seem  to  have  chosen  this  as  the  ground  for  the 
last  grand  conflict.  If  we  gain  it,  in  my  opinion,  the  rebellion 
will  be  crushed.  General  Wadsworth  will  command  our  new 
division  which  will  be  in  the  fifth  army  corps,  and  General  G.  K. 
Warren  will  command  that  Corps.  Direct  your  letters  as  usual 
until  I  advise  you  what  the  arrangement  is.  It  will  be  a  swallow 
ing  up  of  the  old  first  army  corps  with  the  fifth  corps,  which 
hurts  our  feelings  very  much.  We  think  the  first  army  corps 
has  deserved  something  better  than  obliteration." 
HEADQUARTERS  SIXTH  WISCONSIN  VETERAN  VOLUNTEERS,  ) 
FOURTH  DIVISION,  FIFTH  ARMY  CORPS,  MARCH  27th,  1864.  j 
"Dear  Father: — The  army  receives  with  great  satisfaction 
the  compliment  of  the  personal  leadership  of  the  Lieutenant 
General,  but  the  army  can  fight  no  more  heroically  under  General 


240  * 

Grant  than  it  did  under  General  McClellan  at  Antietam,  or  Gen 
eral  Meade  at  Gettysburg.  There  is  a  measure  to  human  achieve 
ment.  Give  General  Grant  men  enough  of  the  tried  valor  and 
experience  ot  this  fighting  army  of  the  Nation  and  I  think  he  can 
go  to  Richmond  and,  with  the  occupation  and  isolation  of  Vir 
ginia,  crush  the  rebellion.  We  believe  he  will  not  undertake 
the  great  work  in  the  light  of  such  abundant  experience  without 
strength  adequate  to  the  enterprise,  and  we  feel  confident  that,  as 
.you  say,  'Grant  will  take  Richmond  this  campaign.'  ' 

NEAR  CULPEPPER  COURT  HOUSE,  MARCH  2yth,  1864. 

"My  dear  uife: — We  have  had  a  complete  re-organization  of  our 
army.  Our  old  first  corps  is  merged  into  the  fifth  corps  under 
the  command  of  General  G.  K.  Warren.  I  like  General  Warren 
for  a  corps  commander.  We  are,  in  the  re-organization,  the  first 
brigade,  fourth  division,  fifth  army  corps.  General  Cutler  com 
mands  our  brigade  and  General  Wadsworth  our  division. 

We  have  had  a  pleasant  Sabbath.  A  gentleman  from  Massa 
chusetts,  the  Rev.  L,ewis  F.  Clark,  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
church  at  Whittiersville,  Massachusetts,  (born  in  Southhampton, 
Massachusetts,)  who  is  connected  with  the  Christian  Commission, 
came  t&  our  camp  and  desired  to  hold  religious  service.  It  was  a 
beautiful  morning,  and  after  inspection,  the  regiment  was  turned 
out  to  attend  divine  service.  Mr.  Clark  preached  a  short  and  ex 
cellent  sermon  to  the  regiment,  which  was  formed  in  a  hollow 
square.  The  service  was  impressive,  and  it  is  an  honor  to  our 
regiment  that  every  man  behaved  with  a  reverence  becoming  the 
occasion.  We  all  took  dinner  with  Mr.  Clark  at  Colonel  Bragg's 
tent.  He  corresponds  with  Dr.  Justin  Perkins,  of  the  Nestorian 
mission  in  Persia.  He  knows  all  about  Mr.  Shedd  (my  brother- 
in-law,  a  missionary  in  Persia)  and  has  read  his  published  letters 
with  much  interest,  and  he  quoted  from  them.  He  knew  more 
about  the  mission  than  I  did.  He  regards  Dr.  Perkins  as  one  of 
the  benefactors  of  the  age.  He  told  several  anecdotes  of  his  life. 
He  knew  of  my  great  grandfather,  Rev.  Dr.  Manasseh  Cutler, 
and  about  my  great  grandfather,  Colonel  William  Dawes,  who 
rode  from  Boston  with  Paul  Revere  to  arouse  the  people  the  night 
before  Lexington.  He  was  quite  witty  over  my  Yankee  pedigree. 
He  made  me  feel  quite  blue.  You  will  perceive  that  we  had  a 


241 

pleasant  visitor.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Andover  and  an  exceed 
ingly  bright  and  intelligent  gentleman.  He  left  his  church  for  six 
weeks  to  come  to  the  army  in  the  service  of  the  Christian  Com 
mission." 

Dr.  Clark  was  pleased  with  the  decorous  behaviour  of  our  men, 
and  he  was  inclined  to  attribute  it  to  the  moral  influence  of  our 
"Christian  commandant,"  as  he  styled  Colonel  Bragg,  to  the  great 
delight  of  Dr.  Hall  and  myself.  Dr.  Clark  privately  asked  Dr. 
Hall  to  what  denomination  Colonel  Bragg  belonged.  Dr.  Hall 
replied  that  the  Colonel  was  "so  modest  and  reticent  about  his 
religious  affiliations"  that  he  had  never  told  us. 

"Our  recruits  are  a  fine  set  of  fellows  and  they  take  up  their 
new  business  readily.  I  do  not  fear  that  the  honor  of  the  regi 
ment  will  ever  suffer  in  their  keeping.  I  inspected  the  regiment 
this  morning  and  looked  them  all  over  carefully." 

(To  my  wife.)  NKAR  CULPKPPER,  MARCH  29th,  1864. 

"I  am  going  over  some  day,  soon  to  Culpepper  to  play  chess 
with  a  rebel  gentleman,  named  Mr.  Mosee,  who  says  'he  has 
beaten  the  Confederate  army  and  is  anxious  to  beat  the  Union 
army.'  This  morning  we  stood  shivering  two  hours  in  line  of 
battle  to  be  reviewed  by  General  Grant.  An  incident  occurred 
upon  this  review,  which  was  characteristic  of  General  Grant.  The 
troops  were  drawn  up  in  line  of  battalions  en  masse  doubled  on 
the  centre.  There  was  a  cold  drizzle  of  rain,  and  as  General 
Grant,  at  the  head  of  his  staff  and  escort,  rode  slowly  along  in 
front  of  the  line,  regiment  after  regiment  gave  loud  cheers  in 
his  honor  as  he  approached.  This  had  become  customary  in  our 
army  when  the  troops  were  reviewed  by  the  commanding  General. 
General  Grant  made  no  recognition  of  the  intended  compliment. 
I  was  in  command  of  the  regiment  and  observing  this  felt  pro 
voked.  I  turned  to  the  regiment  and  said  :  'As  General  Grant 
does  not  seem  to  think  our  cheering  worth  notice,  I  will  not  call 
for  cheers.  Maintain  your  position  as  soldiers.'  When  General 
Grant  came  to  the  sixth  Wisconsin,  the  military  salutes  required 
were  performed  with  exact  precision  and  the  men  stood  motion 
less  as  statues.  He  evidently  expected  us  to  cheer  him  as  the 
others  had;  but  when  he  saw  us  performing  only  our  exact  and 
formal  duties  as  soldiers,  he  took  off  his  hat  and  made  a  low  bow 


242 

to  us,  and  to  our  colors  dipped  in  salute  to  him  as  commander  of 
the  army.  It  was  to  say,  'I  did  not  come  here  for  a  personal 
ovation.'  It  was  a  genuine  Grantism  and  our  men  were  highly 
pleased  at  it.  They  said,  'Grant  wants  soldiers,  not  yaupers.'  " 

(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  MARCH  3ist,  1864. 

"Major  Hauser  has  been  appointed  a  Consul  to  Switzerland 
and  he  will  soon  start  with  his  wife  for  Europe.  Captain  Philip 
W.  Plummer  will  be  Major  in  place  of  Hauser.  He  is  a  pleasant 
gentleman  and  will  be  an  agreeable  member  of  our  mess.  Adju 
tant  Brooks  is  out  of  Libby  Prison  at  last  and  will  soon  return  to 
to  the  regiment." 

(To  my  wife.)  CAMP  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRIL  4th,  1864. 

"General  James  S.  Wadsworth,  is  now  in  command  of 
our  division,  and  we  begin  at  once  to  feel  the  old  fellow 
trying  in  his  own  level  headed  way  to  ferret  out  abuses.  For  in 
stance  :  'All  officers  applying  for  leave  of  absence  must  state  the 
date  and  length  of  their  last  leave.'  He  is  a  thorough  and  able 
commander. 

The  men  are  drawing  commutation  money  for  the  rations  to 
which  they  were  entitled  while  on  the  veteran  furlough  and  I 
have  to  sign  all  these  papers  in  duplicate.  About  all  the  time 
that  I  am  not  on  court  martial,  I  am  writing  my  name.  William 
Jackson,  now  our  chief  steward,  provides  well  and  serves  up 
dinners  that  are  the  envy  of  all  around  us.  It  is  impossible  to 
get  good  cooks  and  competent  servants  now,  and  we  should  be 
badly  off  if  it  were  not  for  William.  He  is  anxious  that 
General  Grant  shall  succeed  this  spring,  for  an  advance  of  our 
lines  of  twenty  miles  would  enable  him  to  find  his  mother,  which 
he  can  never  hope  to  do  if  the  rebellion  prevails." 

(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRIL  8th,  1864. 

"This  morning  the  regiment  is  to  be  inspected  by  Colonol 
Osborne,  Inspector,  at  General  Wadsworth's  headquarters,  and 
every  man  is  busy  polishing  his  gun  and  brasses  and  blacking  his 
shoes.  Our  men  will  not  allow  themselves  to  be  surpassed  in 
neatness  of  appearance. 

There  was  a  great  horse  race  yesterday  near  Stevensburgh. 
Our  horse  lost  more  than  $1000  for  our  friends  who  bet  their 


243 

money  on  horse  races.  I  am  glad  the  horse  got  beaten.  They 
have  been  gambling  on  it  for  a  year  and  this  I  hope  will  put  a 
stop  to  it.  This  dose  was  badly  needed." 

(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRIL  9th,  1864. 

"There  are  increasing  indications  of  active  work.  Sutlers  are 
being  sent  to  the  rear,  baggage  reduced,  and  leaves  of  absence  for 
bidden.  General  Warren  says  in  his  order,  that  sickness  or  death 
of  near  relatives  will  not  be  considered  as  a  reason  for  granting 
leaves  of  absence.  His  idea  of  an  extreme  case  is  likely 
the  same  as  General  Newton's.  We  expected  the  ninth  corps, 
General  Burnside's  here,  but  I  do  not  know  that  it  has  come.  I 
have  not  been  very  well  for  the  last  two  days." 
(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRIL  i2th,  1864. 

"There  is  a  lively  hum  of  preparation  throughout  the  army  for 
active  operations.  On  the  i5th  of  April,  all  sutlers  or  camp  fol_ 
lowers  of  every  description  must  be  out  of  the  army  under  se 
vere  penalty,  and  all  available  men  are  being  gathered  up, 
armed  and  equipped  for  service  in  the  ranks.  Soon  the  dreaded 
rattle  of  musketry  will  be  around  us.  The  incessant  rain  storms 
have  so  raised  the  streams  as  to  carry  away  nearly  every  railroad 
bridge  between  here  and  Washington. 

Our  camp  was  enlivened  last  night  by  a  decided  genius.  He 
spoke  and  sang  patriotic  songs  to  our  boys  for  two  hours.  He 
kept  his  audience  in  an  uproar.  He  was  amusing,  pathetic,  patri 
otic,  almost  thrilling  in  his  climaxes  after  the  most  approved  style 
of  oratory.  He  is  doing  a  good  work  in  his  way.  His  utter 
ances  were  encouraging  to  the  soldiers  and  his  entertainment 
highly  acceptable  to  them,  wearied  by  the  monotony  of  camp  life. 

A  report  was  called  for  from  army  headquarters  of  how  many 
officers  of  veteran  regiments  had  'signified  their  intention  to 
serve  a  new  term  of  three  years.'  Colonel  Bragg  reported  'none 
in  this  regiment.'  The  course  of  our  State  Governors  is  not  cal 
culated  to  encourage  the  army.  The  most  severe  criticism  is 
made  of  Governor  Brough  of  Ohio.  He  has  inaugurated  a  sys 
tem  of  throwing  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  promotion  of  veteran 
officers  and  soldiers.  The  Governor  of  a  State,  free  from  danger 
and  with  little  knowledge  of  the  military  service  of  the  general 
Government,  in  point  of  propriety  and  good  sense  ought  not  to 


244 

have  control  of  the  appointment  or  promotion  of  officers  who  are 
in  the  field,  in  the  Army  of  the  United  States.  One  of  our 
companies  is  now  without  officers  and  we  are  not  able  to  get  the 
Governor  of  Wisconsin  to  appoint  them,  and  this  while  we  are 
preparing  for  an  active  campaign  against  the  enemy.  Week 
after  week  he  has  delayed  sending  the  commissions  asked  for  by 
Colonel  Bragg,  making  frivolous,  and  to  us,  contemptible  objec 
tions.  For  example,  'you  have  not  stated  whether  this  man  is 
first  sergeant,'  when  there  is  no  first  sergeant  in  the  company. 
Again :  'This  officer  cannot  be  promoted  until  the  Governor  is 
notified  by  the  War  Department  of  the  resigned  officer's  discharge,' 
when  the  officer  was  not  discharged  by  order  of  the  War 
Department.  The  War  Department  can  not  know  of  his  dis 
charge  for  a  month  to  come,  and  then  would  not  notify  the 
Governor  of  Wisconsin,  because  tha}:  is  not  required.  Besides, 
the  Governor  has  been  notified  long  before  by  our  Col 
onel,  who  is  the  proper  authority.  Or :  'The  Governor  has 
determined  not  to  appoint  out  of  the  line  of  promotion  in  the 
individual's  own  regiment.'  The  important  places  in  the  new 
regiments,  where  the  experience  and  example  of  the  veterans  are 
of  vital  importance,  are  given  too  often  to  politically  influential 
civilians,  who  hang  around  and  tease  for  them.  Shame  on  such  a 
policy.  No  such  foil)7  is  practiced  by  the  rebels.  Instead  of 
rushing  in  new  and  green  organizations,  they  are  constantly  fill 
ing  up,  by  conscription  or  otherwise,  their  old  regiments.  That 
is  one  reason  why  we  can't  whip  I^ee's  army." 

The  following  extracts  from  an  article  by  Colonel  K.  C.  Dawes,  in 
the  National  Tribune  of  August  i4th,  1890,  state  succinctly  these 
radical  differences  in  the  military  policy  of  the  contending  powers : 

"In  the  Confederacy  after  1861,  all  soldiers  were  enlisted  'for 
the  war.'  There  was  scarcely  a  new  regiment  organized  after 
1862.  Recruits  and  conscripts  were  assigned  to  old  regiments, 
whose  ranks  were  thus  kept  full.  Promotions  were  promptly 
made  to  fill  all  vacancies.  Bach  infantry  and  cavalry  company 
had  three  lieutenants.  Brigades,  divisions,  and  army  corps, 
were  commanded  by  officers  of  appropriate  rank.  Brigades  as  a 
rule  retained  the  same  organization  from  the  beginning  of  the 
war  to  the  end. 


245 

In  the  Union  army  there  was  perpetual  change.  Men  were 
enlisted  for  all  periods,  from  three  months  to  three  years.  Under 
each  call  for  troops,  new  regiments  were  organized.  Each  infan 
try  and  cavalry  company  had  two  Lieutenants.  Promotions 
were  not  permitted  in  old  regiments  if  the  number  of  officers  on 
the  rolls  was  proportionately  greater  than  the  number  of  enlisted 
men.  The  chances  for  promotion  were  therefore  in  inverse  ratio 
to  the  service  performed.  Brigades  and  divisions  were  changed 
with  each  campaign,  and  were  seldom  commanded  by  officers  of 
proper  rank. 

Some  examples  from  the  records  will  illustrate  these  differences : 

General  Joseph  K.  Johnston's  army  by  its  return  of  June  loth, 
1864,  numbered  for  duty,  6,538  officers  and  64,340  enlisted  men. 

General  Sherman's  army  by  its  return  June  3oth,  1864,  with 
100,851  enlisted  men  for  duty,  had  but  5,219  officers." 

(To 'my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRII,  i5th,  1864. 

"I  had  the  honor  of  an  introduction  to  General  G.  K.  Warren 
yesterday.  He  is  a  keen-looking  fellow  ot  small  stature,  about 
my  own  complexion,  black  eyes  and  hair,  and  quite  young 
looking.  His  address  is  gentlemanly  and  pleasing." 

(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRIL  iyth,  1864. 

"The  enemy  are  evidently  preparing  themselves  to  meet  the 
advance  of  this  army,  and  if  possible,  repel  it.  Our  army  is 
being  considerably  augmented,  not  so  much  however,  I  think,  as 
the  country  generally  supposes. 

The  Rev.  Warren  Cochran  has  been  appointed  chaplain  of  our 
regiment.  He  is  a  Congregationalist  and  said  to  be  an  able  man. 
He  has  a  son,  who  is  a  recruit  to  the  regiment,  and  he  wishesjio  be 
with  him  in  the  service.  Our  regiment  has  been  announced  in 
general  orders  as  first  in  excellence  in  the  division  in  cleanliness 
of  clothing  and  persons  of  the  men,  and  in  good  condition  of 
arms  and  accoutrements." 

General  Wadsworth  had  announced  that  he  would  publish  in 
general  orders,  the  regiment  in  his  division  that  stood  first  in 
soldierly  qualities,  discipline,  cleanliness,  and  condition  of  arms, 
but  the  time  for  the  inspection  was  not  given.  The  order  for 
inspection  came  to  brigade  headquarters  and  was  there  discovered 


246 

by  Colonel  Bragg  at  midnight,  and  the  inspection  was  to  be  at 
eight  o'clock  A.  M.  Bragg  has  written  of  this  circumstance : 
"It  was  a  stunner,  and  I  thought  aimed  to  bring  down  our  high 
pretensions."  The  Colonel  called  out  all  the  Captains  after 
midnight,  and  we  had  a  preliminary  inspection  at  daylight  in  the 
morning,  after  which  the  men  went  to  bed  and  apparently  fell 
fast  asleep.  At  eight  o'clock  Colonel  Osborne,  the  inspector, 
came.  Colonel  Bragg  writes :  "He  stopped  at  my  tent  and 
waked  me  up,  and  I  pretended  that  it  was  the  first  I  had  heard 
of  an  inspection,  and  grumbled  about  their  playing  such  tricks 
on  us.  As  I  ranked  Osborne,  you  turned  the  regiment  out,  and 
such  a  regiment  those  fellows  never  saw,  as  Osborne  himself  told 
me  in  1865  at  a  Camp-fire  one  night.  He  admitted  that  he 
expected  to  take  us  unawares,  and  wanted  to  know  how  we  got 
ready.  I  told  him  they  always  kept  themselves  that  way  in 
camp,  to  which  he  answered  'Bosh.'  " 

"The  manner  in  which  the  whole  opposition  party  in  Congress 
has  shown  sympathy  for  the  traitorous  sentiments  of  Representa 
tive  Long,  of  Ohio,  has  created  a  profound  impression  in  the 
arm}7.  It  is  asked  how  many  reverses  to  our  plans  and  our  arms 
W7ill  bring  the  great  political  party  these  people  represent  to  Mr. 
Long's  conviction  of  the  necessity  of  recognition.  They  have 
shown  favor  to  Mr.  Long's  avowal  upon  the  floor  of  Congress  of 
his  conviction  of  our  defeat,  and  of  the  triumph  of  our  enemy. 

I  attend  court  martial  every  day.  We  have  an  important  case 
pending.  Judge  McCunn  of  New  York  City,  under  provisions  of 
a  law  of  New  York,  enacted  in  pursuance  of  a  provision  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  that  the  militia  cannot  be 
called  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  for  a  longer  period 
than  two  years,  discharged  from  the  service,  by  the  decree  of  a 
municipal  court  of  New  York  city,  a  member  of  the  fourteenth 
Brooklyn,  which  was  a  regiment  of  New  York  state  militia, 
mustered  into  the  United  States  service  for  three  years  unless 
sooner  discharged.  The  Provost  Marshal  arrested  the  man  as 
a  deserter,  disregarding  the  decree  of  the  court,  and  our  court  is 
trying  him  on  a  charge  of  desertion.  Important  questions  are 
involved  in  this  case." 

The  provision  in  the  Constitution  is  that  "No  appropriation  of 


247 

money,"  to  raise  and  support  armies,  ' 'shall  be  for  a  longer  term 
than  for  two  years." 

(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRIL  22nd,  1864. 

"Captain  Philip  W.  Plummer  has  been  appointed  Major,  vice 
Hauser.  Adjutant  Brooks  came  unexpectedly  into  camp  last 
night.  I  must  say  he  never  looked  better  in  his  life,  and 
imprisonment  in  Libby  seems  to  have  agreed  with  the  young 
man.  He  tells  amusing  stories  of  life  in  L,ibby.  General  Neal 
Dow,  who  was  a  prisoner,  had  coffee  sent  to  him  by  his  friends. 
Brooks  says  he  wanted  some  of  that  coffee,  and  he  sent  a  young 
Lieutenant,  who  did  not  know  Dow,  to  commiserate  with  him 
upon  the  burning  of  his  fine  distillery.  The  ludicrous  explosion 
that  followed,  enabled  Brooks  to  steal  a  tin  cup  of  coffee  from 
the  hot  coals.  Brooks  says  he  got  ninety  dollars  in  rebel  money, 
for  three  dollars  in  gold,  and  that  Mosby  sold  his  (Brooks')  horse 
for  two  thousand  dollars  in  rebel  currency.  We  had  a  fine 
little  brigade  review  in  honor  of  the  Governor  of  Wisconsin,  who 
is  here,  (Governor  Lewis.) 
(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRIL  26th,  1864. 

"I  occupied  the  time  yesterday  playing  chess  with  old  Mr. 
Mossee,  the  rebel  gentleman  in  Culpepper,  of  whom  I  have 
written  you.  We  played  ten  games  and  won  five  each.  The  old 
fellow  is  a  strong  player.  He  spends  his  time  studying  calculus 
and  chess  for  want  of  something  else  to  do.  He  has  a  daughter 
living  with  him,  whom  he  calls  Tuss,'  which  rather  disturbs  my 
equanimity,  as  I  dislike  silly  nicknames.  But  the  daughter's 
tenderness  for  her  father  is  beautiful.  I  am  afraid  I  shall  be 
short  of  socks  before  the  campaign  is  over.  The  sutlers  have  all 
left  the  army  and  nothing  of  the  kind  can  be  procured  here. 
Our  people  are  building  forts  around  Culpepper,  either  as  a 
blind  or  to  fortify  this  point  as  a  base  of  supplies." 

(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRIL  27th,  1864. 

"Burnside's  corps  are  arriving  at  Alexandria,  which  of  course, 
is  a  preliminary  to  an  immediate  movement  by  this  army." 

(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRIL  28th,  1864. 

"The  seventh  Indiana  regiment,  under  Colonel  Ira  B.  Grover, 
has  been  added  to  our  brigade.  This  is  a  large  and  remarkably 


248 

fortunate  regiment.  They  claim  to  have  been  in  seventeen 
battles  with  less  loss  than  we  sustained  at  Gettysburg.  General 
Wadsworth's  division  must  be  seven  thousand  strong.  The 
seventh  Wisconsin  received  fourteen  Indians,  apparently  wild 
from  the  woods,  as  recruits  yesterday.  Some  of  them  cannot 
speak  our  language.  I  have  Reuben  greatly  exercised,  for  I  tell 
him  that  no  delicacy  is  so  choice  to  an  Indian  as  roast  nigger,  unless 
it  be  a  coon.  As  Reuben  considers  himself  both  he  sees  no 
chance  to  escape.  Mr.  Mossee  and  I,  yesterday,  played  seven 
games.  I  won  four ;  he  won  two  and  one  was  drawn.  It  was 
hard  work  to  beat  the  old  man,  but  I  did  it  this  time,  and  the 
Union  army  is  ahead.  The  drawn  game  was  a  joke.  This  is  the 
position  : 


Black. 


WTiite. 


I  have  the  white  men  and  the  move  and  draw  the  game.  To 
be  caught  thus  asleep  annoyed  the  old  gentleman  greatly.  He 
had  a  sure  thing." 


249 

(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  APRIL  29th,  1864. 

"We  are  to  try  a  Major  to-morrow  on  the  charge  of 
drunkenness,  and  other  charges  too  disgraceful  to  write  on  paper. 
It  is  discouraging  to  find  such  men  in  respectable  and  responsible 
positions  in  the  army.  I  saw  a  regular  war  dance  in  the  camp  of 
the  seventh  Wisconsin  last  night.  The  Indians  are  Chippewas. 
General  Rice  saw  our  returned  enlisted  men  who  had  been 
prisoners  at  Belle  Isle,  in  Richmond.  'No  one,'  he  says,  'who  has 
not  seen  them,  can  imagine  the  dreadful  condition  of  these  men." 
(To  my  wife.)  CAMP  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  MAY  ist,  1864. 

"Our  new  Major,  Philip  W.  Plummer,  came  into  camp  yester 
day  from  Wisconsin,  where  he  has  been  on  recruiting  service. 
He  has  enjoyed  his  stay  in  Wisconsin  and  is  in  high  spirits  at  his 
promotion.  He  looks  finely.  May  2nd. — You  must  tell  me 
where  Charley's  regiment  is  to  be  stationed.  He  will  not  have 
an  unpleasant  duty  in  his  one  hundred  days  of  soldiering." 

Charles  Beman  Gates,  only  brother  of  my  wife,  was  a  member 
of  the  Junior  class  in  Marietta  College.  He  was  nineteen  years 
of  age.  He  had  joined  the  one  hundred  and  forty-eighth  Ohio 
regiment  under  the  call  for  men  to  serve  one  hundred  days,  and 
he  was  First  lieutenant  in  company  "A." 
(To  my  wife.)  CAMP  NEAR  CULPEPPER,  MAY  3rd,  1864. 

"  'We   move  at  midnight.'" 

When  the  orders  to  march  to  the  Wilderness  came,  two  culprits 
who  belonged  to  our  regiment  were  in  confinement  at  Gen.  Wads- 
worth's  headquarters  to  be  taken  to  the  penitentiary  at  Sing  Sing, 
New  York.  One  had  been  sentenced  to  a  term  of  five 
years  and  the  other  to  a  term  of  three  years.  They  begged 
piteously  to  be  allowed  to  join  the  regiment  and  fight  in  the 
coming  battles.  They  said  they  had  rather  be  killed  than  go  to 
the  penitentiary.  Upon  Colonel  Bragg's  voucher  that  they  would 
fight  if  released  General  Wadsworth  granted  their  request.  They 
never  left  the  skirmish  line  until  both  were  shot  and  severely 
wounded.  At  Petersburg,  after  the  campaign,  I  applied  to  the 
President  of  the  United  States  for  their  pardon,  pleading  their 
bravery  and  their  suffering  in  battle.  Under  the  rule  in  such 
cases,  all  the  evidence  before  the  court  was  submitted  together 
with  the  application.  The  pardon  was  granted  by  President 
Abraham  Lincoln. 


XII. 

The    WWoFerness— Laurel    Hill— The    Bloody   .Angrle    and  Spottsyl- 
vania. 

On  the  early  morning  of  May  4th,  1864,  the  grand  column  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  on  the  march  to  cross  the  Rapidan, 
the  fifth  army  corps  in  advance.  At  the  head  of  our  division 
rode  General  James  S.  Wadsworth,  gray-haired  and  noble  in  his 
appearance  and  bearing,  and  grand  in  every  element  of  character 
and  manhood.  We  crossed  on  the  pontoon  at  Germania  Ford, 
and  marched  into  the  Wilderness.  Word  passed  over  the  land 
that  General  Grant  was  moving,  and  with  almost  breathless 
anxiety  our  people  awaited  the'  result.  For  days  no  word  came 
from  beneath  the  dark  shadow,  to  relieve  the  almost  agonized 
anxiety  of  my  young  wife.  It  was  known  that  there  was 
desperate  and  incessant  fighting,  but  it  was  wholly  impossible  to 
get  particulars  from  the  front.  Her  kind  father,  (Beman  Gates) 
left  his  business,  and  putting  aside  all  else  came  to  Washington 
to  get  the  first  word  possible  from  me,  and  to  be  at  hand  to  aid 
me  in  case  of  need.  My  uncle,  Wm.  P.  Cutler,  almost  equally 
concerned,  sent  the  first  word  of  encouragement  that  reached  my 
wife.  The  battles  in  the  Wilderness  and  near  Spottsylvania,  will 
first  be  given  in  the  correspondence  which  is  arranged  in  the 
same  order  that  it  came  to  my  wife,  as  the  most  graphic  as  well  as 
the  most  accurate  manner  of  restoring  the  experiences  of  that 
time. 
(Telegram.)  CHILUCOTHE,  OHIO,  MAY  loth,  1864. 

"Morning  papers  contain  lists  of  casualties  among  officers. 
Rufus'  name  not  among  them.  General  Wadsworth  killed. 
Lee  retreating.  W.  P.  CUTLER." 

This  was  the  first  list  published.  The  telegram  gained  six 
hours  time  before  delivery  of  the  morning  papers  at  Marietta. 


251 

Letter  from  Beman  Gates  to  my  wife, — his  daughter : 

WASHINGTON  CITY,  D.  C.,  MAY  i3th,  1864. 

11  My  dear  Mary : — "I  am  convinced  that  during  the  first  six 
days  of  battle,  Rufus  escaped  injury.  I  have  sought  information 
from  every  possible  source,  and  have  obtained  as  full  lists  as 
practicable  of  all  casualties.  There  are  several  wounded  men 
from  the  sixth  Wisconsin  who  came  up  on  the  boat  last  night, 
and  whom  I  will  see  before  closing  this  letter.  This  morning  I 
went  to  the  Georgetown  hospital  where  the  officers  are  mostly 
sent,  to  see  Dr.  Preston,  reported  as  Surgeon  of  the  sixth  Wis 
consin.  He  could  give  me  no  information,  having  started  here 
before  the  army  moved.  Over  seven  thousand  men  have  already 
reached  here,  but  a  majority  of  them  are  slightly  wounded.  The 
more  severely  wounded  are  kept  at  Fredericksburgh.  I  get 
more  information  through  the  Sanitary  Commission  than  from  all 
other  sources,  but  in  the  present  hurry  and  confusion,  it  is  very 
difficult  to  get  any  information  that  is  reliable.  The  loss  of  men 
has  been  terrible,  and  I  fear  the  slaughter  will  continue  for  some 
days  yet.  Everything  is  being  done  by  the  Government  and  by 
the  Sanitary  Commission  to  relieve  the  wounded,  but  great  suffer 
ing  must  result  from  the  inability  to  give  prompt  aid.  I  am  now 
waiting  to  see  the  Wisconsin  State  Agent,  (W.  Y.  Selleck)  and  if 
I  can  get  any  information,  I  will  add  it  to  this  letter.  If  I  get 
any  reliable  information  from  Rufus  I  will  telegraph  at  once." 

"2%  o'clock  P.  M. — I  have  just  come  from  one  of  the  hospitals 
where  I  found  three  men  wounded  from  the  sixth  Wisconsin. 
They  all  belong  to  company  'C.'*  One  of  them  was  wounded  in 
the  first  day's  battle,  and  two  in  the  second.  They  say  that 
Bragg  is  in  command  of  a  Pennsylvania  brigade,  and  Dawes,  of 
the  regiment.  They  speak  in  the  very  highest  terms  of  him  and 
say  that  in  the  second  day's  fight,  when  the  division  was  driven,f 
the  colors  fell  back,  when  Colonel  Dawes  seized  them  in  person, 
marched  forward  and  planted  them  under  a  heavy  fire,  and 
brought  the  men  up  to  line.  Major  Plummer  was  killed  in  the 
first  day's  fight,  and  Captain  Converse,  company  *B,'  was  killed. 

*Norman  S.  Bull,  Albert  P.  Sprague,  C.  H.  Clary. 

tLongstreet's  attack  when  General  Wadsworth  was  killed  and  our  lines 
broken. 


252 

These  were  all  the  officers  killed  or  wounded  badly  up  to  Sunday 
night.*  The  Wisconsin  State  Agent  says  that  officers  from  the 
seventh  Wisconsin,  who  came  up  last  night,  report  that  when 
they  left  Sunday  night,  Rufus  was  all  right.  The  Agent  expects 
later  news  to-night,  and  if  I  hear  anything  unfavorable  I  will 
telegraph  you,  and  go  down  to  the  front  on  the  first  boat.  I  have 
a  pass  and  shall  take  charge  of  the  sanitary  and  medical  stores 
for  the  Ohio  Relief  Association.  I  do  not  know  how  to  leave 
my  business,  but  if  I  can  be  of  service,  I  feel  that  I  ought  to  go. 
Your  husband  is  proving  himself  a  brave  and  true  man  and  an 
excellent  officer ;  indeed,  he  has  done  this  long  ago.  But  he  is 
now  winning  fresh  laurels,  which  for  your  sake,  for  his  mother's 
and  sister's  sake,  and  for  the  country's  good,  I  pray  that  he  may 
live  to  wear  for  many  years. 

Your  affectionate  father, 
BEMAN  GATES." 

WASHINGTON,  MAY  i3th,  1864. 

Extracts  from  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Gates. — "I  expect  to  start  to 
Fredericksburgh  in  the  morning.  I  shall  get  to  Belle  Plaine,  eighty 
miles  down  the  Potomac,  before  night,  and  shall  then  have  to 
walk  or  ride  ten  miles  or  so  to  Fredericksburgh.  Whether  I  go 
farther  or  not  will  depend  upon  circumstances  when  I  get  there. 
My  pass  will  allow  me  to  go  to  the  front  if  I  can  get  there,  and  I 
cannot  tell  now  where  that  will  be.  At  latest  dates,  Rufus  was 
safe,  but  there  has  been  severe  and  almost  constant  fighting  and 
very  heavy  losses.  The  reports  this  evening  continue  encourag 
ing  as  to  our  general  success,  but  the  thousands  of  wounded  who 
are  arriving  here  from  the  last  week's  battle  make  a  man  weep, 
and  their  sufferings  prompt  me  to  do  what  I  can  for  their  relief. 
If  I  only  had  good  health,  I  could  do  much,  and  when  I  am  not 
sick  I  can  do  a  little  and  can  not  hesitate  to  offer  my  service. 
I  wrote  Mary  this  afternoon  and  have  not  heard  anything 
since.  Her  anxiety  is  of  course  painful,  and  I  trust  the  dreadful 
suspense  may  soon  be  happily  relieved.  Whatever  may  be  the 
result,  she  may  well  be  thankful  that  she  has  had  a  husband  who 
was  willing  to  put  his  life  at  hazard  in  the  defense  of  his  country. 

JAn  error  on  the  part  of  his  informants. 


263 

Nobly  has  he  sustained  the  service,  and  long  may  he  live  to  en 
joy  the  blessings  of  the  government  he  has  served  so  well.  I  feel 
anxious  about  Charley  (his  son),  but  I  cannot  say  he  ought  not  to 
go.  I  do  not  know  but  I  ought  to  go  too." 

Saturday  A.  M.,  i4th. — "I  am  off  for  the  army.  I  leave  my 
valise  here,  taking  nothing  but  a  shirt  and  my  shawl.  Rufus' 
name  does  not  appear  in  any  list ;  the  latest  I  could  get  he  was 
well.  Captain  W.  N.  Remington,  of  his  regiment,  was  admitted 
to  a  hospital  last  night,  wounded.  When  he  left,  Rufus  was  all 
right.  The  fighting  is  not  over  yet." 

P.  S. — " I  have  seen  the  Wisconsin  State  Agent.  He  has  re 
ports  from  the  sixth  regiment  as  late  as  Wednesday,  at  which 
time  Dawes  was  well.  He  has  the  report  that  Colonel  Bragg, 
commanding  a  Pennsylvania  brigade,  was  killed  on  Tuesday  or 
Wednesday,  but  does  not  credit  it."  B.  G. 

LINE  OF  BATTLE,  MAY  nth,  1864.* 
(To  my  wife.) 

"Through  God's  blessing  I  am  yet  alive,  and  beside  the 
fearful  tax  upon  my  energies,  mental  and  physical,  have 
nothing  to  complain  of  and  everything  to  be  thankful  for. 
For  six  long  days  we  have  been  under  the  deadly  musketry. 
On  the  morning  of  May  5th  our  brigade  lost  near  eight  hundred 
men;  the  same  night  a  hundred  more;  the  next  morning  two 
hundred  more.  We  marched  all  night  to  come  here  (yth),  and 
next  day  (8th),  we  charged  the  enemy  and  were  repulsed,  and  the 
fnext  day  (zoth),  we  twice  attacked  and  were  driven  back,  and 
every  moment  the  balls,  shot  and  shell  have  whistled  around  us. 
Major  Plummer,  Captain  Kellogg,  Captain  Converse,  Lieutenant 
Pruyn  and  Lieutenant  Graetz  are  in  their  graves.  Captain  Rem 
ington,  Lieut.  Timmons  and  Lieut.  J.  L.  Converse  are  wounded. 
The  perils  of  the  last  week  have  been  fearful.  I  cannot  hope  to 
pass  thus  safely  through  another  such.  Colonel  Bragg  commands 
a  brigade  of  Pennsylvania  troops  and  I  have  commanded  the 
regiment  since  the  second  day.  Our  loss  in  killed  and  wounded 
is  about  one  hundred  and  forty  men.  The  battle  must  soon  be 

*We  were  confronting  the  enemy  in  a  log  breast  work  at  Laurel   Hill, 
near  Spottsylvania  Court  House. 
tError,  10th  is  the  day  of  the  attacks  referred  to. 


254 

renewed.     I  cannot  write  now.     The  frightful  scenes  of  the  last 
week  make  my  heart  almost  like  a  stone." 

OHIO  STATE  MILITARY  AGENCY,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.  ) 
(To  Mrs.  Beman  Gates.)  MAY  i4th,  P.  M.,  1864.      j 

"I  have  been  hard  at  work  for  eight  hours,  buying  stores 
and  gathering  sanitary  supplies,  and  expect  to  leave  at 
five  o'clock.  We  hope  to  reach  Belle  Plaine  (six  miles 
below  Acquia  Creek),  about  midnight,  and  to  get  to  Fredericks- 
burgh  early  in  the  morning.  If  I  can  get  to  the  front,  I  shall, 
and  I  hope  that  will  be  Richmond. 

The  losses  have  been  immense,  but  not  so  heavy  as  reported. 
The  highest  authorities  here  say  that  twenty  thousand  will  cover 
all  up  to  Thursday's  battle.  We  are  taking  medicines,  vegetables, 
lemons,  tobacco,  lint,  bandages,  &c.,  and  hope  to  do  many  a  poor 
fellow  some  service. 

The  city  is  literally  full  of  people  seeking  out  their  wounded 
friends,  in  the  hospitals,  and  as  they  arrive.  The  hospitals  are 
in  nice  order,  and  amply  provided.  Twenty  thousand  beds  have 
been  provided  for  the  wounded.  BEMAN  GATES." 

(To  Mrs.  Beman  Gates.)  BELLE  PLAINE,  SUNDAY,  A.  M.,  ) 

MAY  1 5th,  1864.      j 

"We  were  delayed  in  getting  off  last  night,  and  did  not 
get  here  until  near  morning.  There  will  be  great  difficulty 
in  getting  forward, — except  by  walking.  I  shall  try  to  get  to 
Fredericksburgh  to-day,  though  I  have  a  bad  headache. 
The  roads,  since  the  last  rain,  are  horrible.  There  are  eight 
thousand  rebel  prisoners  here.  No  more  wounded  will  be  brought 
here  at  present,  as  it  would  kill  the  poor  fellows  to  ride  here. 
They  will  be  kept  at  Fredericksburgh.  I  send  this  to  Washington 
by  a  mail  messenger  from  the  front,  who  left  Grant's  head 
quarters  yesterday  morning.  There  was  no  fighting  on  Friday, 
but  heavy  firing  was  heard  yesterday  P.  M.,  from  which  it  is 
inferred  that  the  contest  was  renewed.  There  is  great  want  of 
nurses  at  Fredericksburgh.  BEMAN  GATES." 

lyiNE  OF  BATTLE  NEAR  SPOTTSYLVANIA  COURT  HOUSE,  ) 
(To  my  wife.)  MAY  i4th,  1864,  n  A.  M.      j 

"By  the  blessing  of  God  I.  am  still  alive.     We  have  had  con- 


255 

tinued  fighting  and  hardship  since  I  wrote  two  days  ago,  beyond 
what  I  can  now  describe.  We  charged  upon  the  enemy's  rifle 
pits  again  on  Thursday,  and  were  as  usual  driven  back.  ^Thurs 
day  night,  May  1 2th,  we  stood  in  mud  over  my  boot  tops,  firing 
all  night.  Yesterday, — i3th, — we  were  under  fire  all  day,  and 
last  night  we  marched  all  night.  I  am  troubled  very  much  lest 
I  have  been  reported  killed  in  the  New  York  papers.  The  report 
was  extensively  circulated  by  one  of  my  men.  I  can  never  tell, 
if  I  live  through  it,  the  sufferings  of  this  campaign.  The  army 
has  earned  the  lasting  gratitude  of  the  people.  Do  not  give  me 
up  if  you  see  me  reported  killed.  Such  things  are  often  mistakes. 
The  end  is  not  yet,  though,  and  I  cannot  avoid,  my  dear  wife, 
saying  that  the  probabilities  of  coming  out  safely  are  strongly 
against  me.  If  we  may  only  finish  this  horrible  business  here, 
ouf  lives  are  of  poor  moment  in  comparison.  The  loss  of  my 
regiment  now  amounts  to  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  killed 
and  wounded,  many  of  our  best  and  truest." 

LINE  OF  BATTLE  NEAR  SPOTTSYLVANIA,  MAY  i.5th,  9  A.  M. 
(To  my  wife.)  "I  find  this  morning  that  I  am  reported  killed 
in  the  New  York  papers. f  The  report  may  be  verified  before 
this  awful  struggle  is  over,  but  I  may  still  escape,  and  to  have 
this  unnecessary  burden  of  trouble  thrown  upon  you,  is  very 
trying.  I  am  almost  prostrated  with  over  exertion  and  with 
fighting,  but  alive  and  well,  and  feeling  more  hopeful.  Colonel 
Bragg  is  alive  and  well.  He  has  been  published  as  killed,  and  is 
troubled  lest  the  same  shock  has  come  to  his  wife.  I  received 
your  letter  of  the  second,  (May)  last  night.  I  have  had  two 
letters  since  the  first  day  of  the  battles.  Our  army  is  fearfully 
exhausted  and  worn  out." 

FREDERICKSBURGH,  Va.,  MONDAY  A.  M., ) 

(To  Mrs.  Beman  Gates.)  MAY  i6th,  1864.      j 

"I  walked  from  the  Potomac  here  yesterday,  the  last  four  miles 

*Thursday  night,  May  12th,  we  were  at  the  point  now  famed  in  history 
as  the  "Bloody  Angle"  or  "Angle  of  Death,"  where  General  Hancock 
had  captured  General  Edward  Johnson's  division. 

tThe  New  York  Tribune  reported  me  in  a  list  of  killed,  which  the  paper 
said  had  been  carefully  verified,  and  paragraphed  the  item  thus :  "Colonel 
Dana  of  the  sixth  Wisconsin  was  killed  yesterday,  while  gallantly  leading 
his  men  to  a  charge.  This  regiment  has  suffered  terribly."  It  escaped  the 
notice  of  my  wife,  because  it  was  not  published  in  the  Cincinnati  papers. 


256 

in  a  very  severe  rain  and  hail  storm.  I  am  sick  but  hard  at 
work.  *  *  *  The  latest  news  from  the  front  is  that  Rufus 
was  well  and  safe  Saturday  P.  M.  There  was  a  report  two  days 
ago,  that  he  was  killed  on  Wednesday,  -but  I  have  talked  with 
M.  Dempsey,  First  lieutenant  of  company  'A,'  twenty-fourth 
Michigan,  who  left  the  front  yesterday,  and  he  says  that  on 
Saturday  afternoon  between  two  and  three  o'clock  he  saw 
Colonel  Dawes  and  talked  with  him.  The  Chaplain  of  the 
Twenty-fourth  says  that  Dempsey  is  a  reliable  man. 

You  cannot  conceive  of  the  suffering  here.  Every  house,  barn, 
and  shed  is  a  hospital,  and  although  everything  possible  is  done,  the 
accommodations  are  imperfect.  The  roads  by  the  late  rains  are  so 
cut  up,  that  the  transportation  of  the  wounded  men  to  the  river  is 
in  many  cases  fatal.  The  delay  in  receiving  sanitary  and  hospital 
stores  is  very  great.  It  is  impossible  to  get  reliable  information 
from  the  front.  Last  night  it  was  currently  reported  that 
Grant  was  falling  back,  and  that  General  Warren's  corps  would 
be  in  Fredericksburgh.  This  morning  men  from  the  front  report, 
that  our  general  hospital  was  yesterday  advanced  to  Spottsyl- 
vania,  and  that  General  Grant  had  issued  a  congratulatory  order. 
One  hour  we  hear  that  Butler  is  in  Richmond,  and  the  next  that 
he  has  been  whipped.  We  know  almost  nothing,  except  that  on 
every  hand  are  thousands  of  brave  men  suffering  and  dying. 
The  Sanitary  and  Christian  commissions  are  doing  a  great  deal, 
but  their  supplies  cannot  be  got  forward.  The  stores  that  I 
started  with  are  yet  at  Belle  Plaine,  but  I  hope  will  be  got 
through  to-day.  I  send  this  to  Washington  by  an  Ohio  man, 
who  is  going  there  with  a  wounded  son,  and  he  will  mail  it  from 
there  upon  his  arrival.  BEMAN  GATES." 

L,INE  OF  BATTLE  NEAR  SPOTTSYLVANIA,  MAY  i6th,  9  A.  M. 

(To  my  wife.) — "L,ast  night  we  were  ordered  to  charge  the 
enemy's  entrenchments,  provided  he  attacked  Burnside's  corps  on 
our  right,  but  no  attack  was  made  and  for  the  time  being  we 
were  spared  another  scene  of  horrid  butchery.  We  know  abso 
lutely  nothing  of  what  is  going  on  outside  of  our  army  or  even 
within  it.  We  have  had  no  newspapers  since  May  3rd,  and  get 
only  a  pitiful  handful  of  mail  for  cooks,  orderlies  and  lieutenants 
of  staff  at  the  various  headquarters.  Put  'Headquarters  First 


257 

Brigade,  Fourth  Division,  Fifth  Corps,'  on  your  letters  and  perhaps 
some  may  get  through." 

LINE  OF  BATTLE,  MAY  lyth,  1864,  6  A.  M. 
(To  my  wife.) — "I  have  to  be  thankful  for  another  day  of  life 
and  safety.  There  was  no  considerable  fighting  anywhere  along 
the  line  yesterday.  There  was  an  order  this  morning  that  the 
artillery  throughout  the  whole  line  should  open  on  the  enemy 
and  I  heard  the  bugles  sounding  at  daybreak,  but  the  fog  is  so 
thick  now  they  can  not  do  anything.  The  loss  of  the  regiment 
as  near  as  I  can  now  arrive  at  it  is,  sixteen  killed,  one  hundred 
and  nineteen  wounded,  and  fourteen  missing.  Most  of  our  miss 
ing  men  are  now  known  to  be  wounded  and  some  are  killed.  I 
have  commanded  the  regiment  since  leaving  the  Wilderness  on 
the  seventh  of  May.  The  enemy  in  our  front  are  in  plain  view. 
Spottsylvania  Court  House  is  directly  in  our  front.  Day  after 
day  we  stupidly  and  drearily  wait  the  order  that  summons  us  to 
the  fearful  work." 

LINE  OF  BATTLE  NEAR  SPOTTSYLVANIA  COURT  HOUSE,  ) 

MAY  1 8th,  8  A.  M.  1864.      j 

(To  my  wife.) — "Alive  and  well  this  morning.  There  has 
been  sharp  fighting  to  our  right,  indeed  there  is  heavy  skirmish 
ing  along  the  whole  line  as  I  write.  I  have  heard  that  your 
father  is  at  Fredericksburg.  It  is  impossible  to  communicate 
with  him." 

LINE  OF  BATTLE  NEAR  SPOTTSYLVANIA  COURT  HOUSE,  ) 

MAY  i Qth,  7  A.  M.,  1864.      j 

(To  my  wife.) — "We  are  occupying  the  extreme  right  of  our 
army  and  we  are  strongly  entrenched.  (This  seems  to  be  an 
error  ;  there  were  other  troops  on  our  right.)  The  battle  will  be 
to  our  left  unless  the  enemy  attack  us.  (They  did  so  the  same 
evening).  It  is  impossible  to  conjecture  when  this  campaign  will 
end  or  what  will  be  the  result.  The  country,  as  usual,  has  been 
unduly  exultant.  This  campaign  has  been  by  far  the  most  trying 
I  have  known.  We  have  had  eight  days  and  nights  of  constant 
toil  and  battle.  Colonel  Bragg  does  well  with  his  Pennsylvania 
Brigade.  General  Cutler  commands  our  division  since  General 
Wadsworth  was  killed.  (Fourth  division,  fifth  corps).  We  hope 
to  get  our  first  regular  mail  to-day  since  May  2nd.  I  look  for  it 


258 

very  anxiously.  One  man  says  I  have  been  reported  killed  in  all 
the  papers  and  another  man  says  I  have  not  been,  and  that  he  has 
seen  all  the  lists." 

LINK  OF  BATTLE  NKAR  SPOTTSYLVANIA,  MAY  2oth,  1864. 

(To  my  wife.) — "Who  should  come  riding  to  the  battle  front 
but  your  good  father.  I  saw  him  for  only  a  few  moments,  but 
I  was  greatly  rejoiced  and  encouraged.  His  visit  did  me  more 
good  than  I  can  tell  you,  and  for  him  to  come  to  the  front  was  an 
undertaking  of  no  little  peril,  as  it  proved.  He  barely  escaped 
getting  into  a  battle,  but  t  he  is  all  right  at  Fredericksburgh.  I 
sent  Philip  Gaubatz  with  him  and  he  is  back. 

Our  hearts  were  rejoiced  also  this  morning  at  receiving  our 
mail.  I  got  five  letters  from  you.  I  will  not  try  to  write  how 
burdens  are  lightened  and  how  life  comes  back.  I  find  (by  the 
mail,)  that  the  Wisconsin  State  Agent  telegraphed  to  Wisconsin 
that  I  was  killed  and  my  body  burned.  I  saw  many  bodies  burn 
ing  (at  Laurel  Hill,)  in  the  brush  between  the  lines,  set  on  fire  by 
burning  wads  from  the  muskets. 

I  was  very  much  alarmed  about  your  father.  The  battle  was 
on  the  road  to  Fredericksburgh,  directly  in  our  rear.  The  rebels 
attacked  us.  This  does  not  look  like  Lee  was  entirely  defeated, 
does  it  ?*  (General  B.  S.  Kwell  commanded  the  troops  of  the 
enemy  in  this  action  and  portions  of  the  second  and  fifth  corps 
and  General  Tyler's  foot  artillerists  were  engaged  on  our  side). 
The) enemy  are  probably  re-in forced,  and  I  do  not  believe  General 
Grant  will  again  attack  them  in  their  entrenched  position.  Your 
letters  came  to  me  truly  when  I  was  'sick  with  the  horrors  of  wai.' " 

*Mr.  Gates  had  ridden  out  from  Fredericksburgh  to  Spottsylvania  Court 
House  on  a  very  poor  animal,  and  upon  his  return  I  gave  him  my  own  horse 
and  put  our  little  drummer  boy,  Philip  Gaubatz,  of  company  "F."  on  his 
horse  to  bring  back  my  own  horse.  Mr.  Gates  first  saw  the  rebel  line  of  battle 
approaching  and  he  asked  Philip  what  troops  those  were.  He  ejaculated 
"The  Shonnies  !"  and  bujying  his  spurs  in  the  flanks  of  the  old  plug,  started 
for  Fredericksburgh  on  a  gallop.  My  horse  caught  the  spirit  of  the  occasion 
and  they  barely  passed  the  flank  of  the  rebel  army  corps  before  the  firing 
began. 

Mr.  Gates  was  much  indebted  to  the  fact  that  he  was  an  old  newspaper 
man,  as  he  fraternized  with  the  correspondents.  What  that  body  of  men 
did  not  know  about  getting  around  in  the  army  was  past  finding  out.  He 
was  provided  with  a  horse  by  a  correspondent  who  promptly  stole  another 
for  his  own  use,  and  he  came  to  the  front  on  the  pass  of  C.  C.  Coffin, 
(Carleton.) 


259 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  WILDERNESS. 

No  official  report  of  the  action  of  the  regiment  in  this  battle 
has  been  made.  In  1874  I  wrote  some  personal  recollections  of 
our  experiences  in  that  strange  and  terrible  struggle  called  the 
Wilderness. 

On  the  night  of  May  4th,  1864,  the  regiment  was  in  bivouac 
near  the  "Old  Wilderness  Tavern."  On  the  morning  of  May  5th, 
when  Wadsworth's  division  of  the  fifth  army  corps  was  ordered 
to  advance  upon  the  enemy,  our  brigade  was  formed  in  two 
lines  of  battle,  the  sixth  Wisconsin  on  the  left  of  the  second 
line. 


Seventh  Indiana. 


Sixth  Wisconsin. 

After  the  troops  had  been  formed,  we  all  lay  down  in  the 
woods  to  await  the  order  to  advance.  There  were  in  the  ranks 
of  the  regiment  three  hundred  and  forty-seven  men  who  carried 
muskets,  and  twenty-three  commissioned  officers — a  total  of 
three  hundred  and  seventy  combatants.  It  was  a  bright  and 
pleasant  morning,  and  the  woods  were  filled  with  the  twitter  of 
birds.  Colonel  Bragg  and  all  of  our  officers  gathered  under  a 
great  oak  tree,  and  were  chattering  and  chaffering  in  the  highest 
spirits.  The  first  call  to  advance  was  an  order  for  a  company  to 
go  forward  as  skirmishers.  Colonel  Bragg  designated  Captain 
John  A.  Kellogg  with  his  company  "I,"  for  this  duty.  We  were 
told  that  our  movement  was  to  be  a  reconnoissance.  As  Kellogg 
got  up  to  go,  Major  Philip  Plummer  said :  "What  word  shall  I 
send  to  your  wife?  "  "Never  mind  my  wife,"  replied  Kellogg 
"Look  after  Converse'  girl !  "  Captain  Converse  said:  "Plummer 
will  be  shot  before  either  of  us,  leave  your  messages  with  Dawes, 
he  is  the  only  man  they  can't  kill!" 

Colonel  Ira  B.  Grover's  seventh  Indiana  regiment  was  directly 
in  front  of  us,  in  the  first  line  of  battle,  and  it  was  our  duty  to 
follow  them  at  a  distance  of  one  hundred  paces.  It  was  with 


260 

the  greatest  difficulty  that  we  could  keep  in  sight  of  them  in  the 
brush.  We  soon  lost  connection  on  our  right,  but  we  followed 
the  colors  of  the  seventh  Indiana.  When  tangled  in  a  thicket 
we  heard  Colonel  Grover  order  his  regiment  to  advance  at  a 
double  quick.  Colonel  Bragg  directed  me  to  hasten  forward  with 
our  regiment  as  fast  as  practicable  through  the  brush,  while  he 
ran  ahead  to  keep  in  sight  of  the  colors  of  the  seventh  Indiana. 
It  is  now  known  that  Wadsworth's  division  had  partially  lost  its 
direction  in  this  march  which  may  explain  the  trouble  we  fell  into. 
Instead  of  facing  the  enemy  as  we  should  have  been,  we  were 
more  in  this  position : 

Rebel  line  advancing. 


As  we  httraed  along  there  was  a  great  outburst  of  musketry. 
Major  Plummer  shouted  to  me :  "Look  to  the  right !"  Probably 
his  last  words.  There  came  the  enemy  stretching  as  far  as  I 
could  see  through  the  woods,  and  rapidly  advancing  and  firing 
upon  us.  I  ordered  a  change  of  front  on  the  color  company,  to 
bring  the  regiment  to  face  them.  Directing  Major  Plummer  to 
attend  to  the  left  wing,  I  gave  orders  to  the  right  wing,  but  the 
Major  was  shot  and  killed,  and  the  regiment  stood  with  reference 
to  the  enemy,  something  like  this : 

Rebel  line. 


6th  Wis. 


Both  wings  opened  fire. 


We  here  lost  forty  or  fifty  men  in  a  very  few  moments,  inclu 
ding  Major  Philip  W.  Plummer,  Captain  Rollin  P.  Converse,  and 


IN  P.  CONVERSE, 

CAPTAIN  CO    I?.  SIXTH  WIS.   VOLS. 


261 

Lieutenant  James  L.  Converse  of  company  "G."  The  brush  now 
served  us  well.  Our  smaller  body  of  men  could  move  faster 
than  the  heavy  lines  of  the  enemy  could  follow.  The  rebels 
came  on  yelling  and  firing.  The  little  band,  as  always  under 
fire,  clung  around  its  colors.  We  rallied  and  formed  twice  or 
three  times  and  gave  the  enemy  a  hot  reception  as  they  came  on. 
When  the  rebels  ceased  pursuing  us,  we  found  ourselves  alone 
as  a  regiment  and  lost  in  the  woods,  and  we  lay  flat  on  the 
ground,  not  knowing  certainly  which  way  to  go  to  join  our 
troops.  Colonel  Bragg  did  not  find  the  seventh  Indiana,  but  he 
almost  ran  into  the  midst  of  the  rebel  army.  He  joined  us  as  we 
fell  back.  Here  came  to  us  a  man  who  had  been  on  the  line  of 
skirmishers  with  company  "I,"  and  he  said  :  "Captain  Kellogg  is 
killed,  I  am  certain  of  it."  We  were  in  the  woods  between  the 
hostile  lines  and  WTC  lelt  our  way  cautiously  back  to  the  open 
ground  around  the  Lacy  House,  where  our  corps  was  being 
formed  after  this  repulse.  We  here  constructed  a  log  breast 
work  and  remained  in  it  until  near  evening  of  May  fifth.  At 
this  time,  General  Wadsworth's  division  was  detached  from  the 
fifth  corps  and  ordered  to  the  support  of  General  Hancock's 
second  corps  on  our  left.  Our  brigade  had  hot  musketry  fighting 
from  the  start,  but  the  enemy  was  driven  back  a  long  distance 
through  the  woods.  We  were  fighting  troops  of  the  corps  of 
General  A.  P.  Hill.  At  dark  the  firing  died  down  to  the  skir 
mish  line.  We  lay  upon  the  ground  surrounded  by  dead  and 
dying  rebel  soldiers.  The  sufferings  of  these  poor  men,  and 
their  moans  and  cries  were  harrowing.  We  gave  them  water 
from  our  canteens  and  all  aid  that  was  within  our  power.  One 
dying  confederate  soldier  cried  out  again  and  again :  "My  God, 
why  hast  thou  forsaken  me!"  On  this  night  Colonel  Bragg 
sent  out  Sergeant  Lewis  A.  Kent,  who  crept  around  the  skirmish 
line  along  the  whole  front  of  Wadsworth's  division  and  -located  the 
enemy.  For  the  important  information  thus  obtained,  Colonel 
Bragg  says  he  received  no  thanks  from  his  superior  officers. 

On  the  early  morning  of  the  sixth  of  May,  the  fighting  was 
renewed.  Again  we  drove  the  enemy  through  the  woods.  The 
four  lines  of  battle  of  Wadsworth's  division  were  formed  thus, 


with  reference  to  the  second  corps,  which  was  also  advancing  in 
several  lines. 

Wadsworth'g  lines. 


When  the  two  came  together,  the  men  became  jammed  and 
crowded,  and  there  was  much  confusion.  *When  Longstreet's 
attack  upon  us  began,  it  first  struck  the  right  flank  of  General 
Wadsworth's  division.  General  Wadsworth  seeing  his  lines 
broken  and  scattered  by  the  rebel  onset  on  his  flank,  rode  at  once 
forwaid  through  his  lines  and  I  saw  him  pass  through  the  ranks 
of  the  one  hundred  and  forty-ninth  Pennsylvania  in  the  front 
line  on  our  left,  and  ride  in  front  of  that  regiment.  He  was 
instantly  killed.  Later  on  that  day,  I  asked  Lieutenant  Karl  M. 
Rogers  who  was  serving  on  his  staff,  why  he  did  so,  as  he  rode 
to  certain  death.  I  remember  the  reply  that  "Bony"  made : 
"My  God,  Colonel,  nobody  could  stop  him!  "  Our  regiment  fell 
back  in  good  order  in  the  same  direction  we  had  advanced,  and 
we  were  not  pursued  by  the  enemy,  who  moved  on  against  the 
lines  of  the  second  corps. 

In  the  Wilderness  our  loss  was  three  officers  and  five  men 
killed, — one  officer  and  thirty-nine  men  wounded, — one  officer 
and  fourteen  men  missing,  a  total  of  sixty-three. 

*"At  4:30  A.  M.  on  the  6th,  we  moved  forward,  attacked  the  enemy  and 
drove  him  across  the  Plank  Road,  where  a  junction  was  made  with  the 
second  corps.  The  division  was  then  formed  in  four  lines,  the  left  resting 
on  the  Plank  Road.  These  lines  were  by  order  of  General  Wadsworth 
closed  in  mass  to  avoid  the  artillery  fire  of  the  enemy.  While  in  this  posi 
tion  it  (the  division)  was  furiously  attacked  by  infantry  and  artillery,  driven 
back  and  badly  scattered."  Report  Brigadier  General  L.  Cutler,  command 
ing  Wadswortn's  division. 


263 

On  the  morning  of  May  7th,*Colonel  Bragg  was  placed  in  com 
mand  of  the  third  brigade,  fourth  division,  fifth  corps,  the  brigade 
referred  to  in  my  account  of  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  as  Roy 
Stone's  Pennsylvania  Bucktails.  The  men  of  this  brigade  had  squir 
rels'  tails  in  their  caps.  The  original  regiment  of  Pennsylvania 
Bucktails  had  deers'  tails  to  adorn  their  caps,  but  the  demand  for 
soldiers  was  beyond  the  supply  of  deers'  tails  in  Pennsylvania. 
The  Junior  Bucktails,  as  they  were  called,  had  all  of  the  soldierly 
qualities  ever  possessed '  by  their  predecessors  in  the  title. 
Colonel  Bragg  was  selected  for  this  command  of  Pennsylvania 
troops  because  he  was  a  brave,  efficient  and  experienced  com 
mander  of  men  in  actual  battle.  Brigadier  Generals  were  plenty, 
but  not  of  this  quality.  His  pending  appointment  as  a  Brigadier 
General  still  hung  fire.  That  was  more  under  the  control  of  the 
members  of  Congress  from  Wisconsin  than  of  his  superior 
officers.  I  quote  from  Colonel  K.  C.  Dawes : 

^  'The  Army  of  the  Potomac,  including  the  ninth  corps  at  the 
opening  of  the  Wilderness  campaign,  contained  forty-one  infantry 
brigades,  twenty-six  of  which  were  commanded  by  Colonels. 
The  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  including  Longstreet's  corps, 
contained  thirty-five  infantry  brigades,  thirty-one  of  which  were 
commanded  by  Brigadier  Generals.  Of  the  brigades  in  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac  which  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  but 
six  in  May,  1864,  were  composed  of  the  same  regiments  as  in 
July,  1863.  All  of  the  advantages  of  organization  were  clearly 
with  the  Confederate  Army.'  ): 

On  the  seventh  of  May  while  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy  in  the 
Wilderness  I  succeded  to  command  of  the  regiment,  in  which 
duty  I  continued  until  the.  expiration  of  my  term  of  service  in 
the  army.  On  the  afternoon  of  May  yth,  the  soldiers  in  the 
lines  of  the  rebel  army  in  our  front  began  a  loud  cheering,  which 
continued  to  run  along  their  lines  for  nearly  half  an  hour.  Its 
significance  I  have  never  learned.  At  8  P.  M.,  of  this  day  the 
movement  of  the  fifth  army  corps  toward  Spottsylvania  Court 
House  commenced  by  the  Brock  road.  We  were  on  the  march 

;'*I  placed  it  (Stone's  brigade)  under  command  of  Colonel  E.  S.  Bragg, 
6th  Wisconsin  Volunteers,  who  retained  command  until  the  brigade  was 
detached  from  the  division,  June  5th,  doing  good  service,"  Repo»* 
General  L.  Cutler. 


264 

during  the  entire  night,  and  on  the  eighth  of  May  we  were  in 
line  of  battle  in  the  vicinity  of  Todd's  Tavern,  where  the  cavalry 
were  engaged  with  the  enemy.  We  continued  our  march  toward 
Spottsylvania  and  before  our  arrival  the  second  division  of  our 
corps  under  General  John  C.  Robinson  had  attacked  and  been 
repulsed.  About  10  A.  M.  our  brigade  was  formed  to  assault  the 
enemy  at  a  point  called  Laurel  Hill,  near  Spottsylvania  Court 
House.  *"This  was  perhaps  the  most  formidable  point  along  the 
enemy's  whole  front.  It's  densely  wooded  crest  was  crowned  by 
earthworks,  while  the  approach,  which  was  swept  by  artillery  and 
musketry  fire,  was  rendered  more  difficult  and  hazardous  by  a 
heavy  growth  of  low  cedars,  the  long,  bayonet-like  branches  of 
which  interlaced." 

In  the  formation  for  attack,  Colonel  W.  W.  Robinson,  com 
manding  the  brigade,  placed  my  regiment  upon  the  right  of  the 
front  line.  I  at  once  threw  forward  skirmishers  and  discovered 
that  the  enemy  were  themselves  advancing  upon  us.  I  ordered 
the  men  to  kneel  upon  the  ground  and  fire  upon  them  as  soon  as 
they  appeared  through  the  brush.  There  were  no  troops  upon  our 
right  and  our  skirmishers  came  running  in  from  that  direction 
and  reported  the  enemy  moving  forward  without  opposition. 
We  had  here  a  sharp  musketry  engagement,  but  our  brigade  was 
outflanked  in  both  directions  and  we  were  obliged  to  retreat  as 
best  we  could  through  the  woods  and  undergrowth. f  We  crossed 
an  open  field  and  on  the  opposite  side  we  reformed  our  line  and 
repulsed  several  attempts  of  the  enemy  to  advance  over  the  field. 
Upon  this  retreat  Lieutenant  Howard  F.  Pruyn,  commanding 
company  "A"  was  killed.  He  disdained  to  run,  and  while  striv 
ing  to  rally  his  men  he  fell.  He  had  been  promoted  from 
the  ranks  for  bravery,  and  he  had  taken  part  in  every  battle  and 
had  uniformly  distinguished  himself  for  efficiency  and  courage. 
Captain  William  N.  Remington,  of  company  "K,"  won  especial 
and  honorable  mention  for  his  conduct  upon  this  occasion,  as  did 
also  Corporal  John  B.  Hart,  of  company  "E,"  who  was  killed. 

*Swinton's  History  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

t"My  right  being  uncovered  and  unsupported,  was  attacked  in  flank 
from  the  woods  and  we  were  obliged  to  retire  a  short  distance."  Report 
General  L.  Cutler. 


265 

Along  the  edge  of  timber  skirting  the  open  field  we  constructed 
a  strong  log  breastwork,  which  may  be  called  our  base  of  opera 
tions  during  the  five  days  of  fighting  at  Laurel  Hill.  This 
breastwork  was  in  the  valley.  The  rebel  line  of  entrench 
ments  was  upon  the  hill-top.  The  skirmishers  of  each  army 
occupied  the  tangled  brush  and  woods  between  the  lines,  and 
they  kept  up,  day  and  night,  a  ceaseless  and  deadly  fire.  Our 
men  in  the  entrenchments  were  constantly  harassed  by  the  fire 
of  the  enemy's  sharpshooters,  wTho  were  posted  in  trees  or  upon 
higher  ground.  On  the  morning  of  May  ninth  a  determined 
effort  was  made  to  drive  back  the  enemy's  skirmishers,  and  thirty 
men  were  ordered  from  the  Sixth  for  this  service.  I  called  for 
volunteers,  and  that  nervy  little  German,  Lieutenant  William 
Golterman,  immediately  stepped  forward.  Sergeant  George 
Fairfield,  of  company  "C,"  was  his  gallant  and  efficient  assistant 
in  command.  The  conduct  of  our  skirmishers,  who  throughout 
the  fighting  at  Spottsylvania  were  volunteers  in  every  effort  made 
to  drive  back  the  enemy,  is  worthy  of  the  highest  praise.  The 
Indians  of  the  seventh  Wisconsin  regiment  took  an  active  part  in 
this  skirmishing.  They  covered  their  bodies  very  ingeniously  with 
pine  boughs  to  conceal  themselves  in  the  woods.  When  skir 
mishers  advanced  from  our  lines,  they  would  run  across  the  open 
field  at  the  top  of  their  speed,  and  numbers  of  them  were  shot 
while  doing  so.  Upon  this  run  the  Indians  would  give  a  shout  or 
war  whoop. 

At  1 2. 30  P.  M.,  on  the  tenth  of  May  we  advanced  to  an  assault 
upon  the  enemy  in  their  entrenched  position  at  Laurel  Hill.  We 
came  suddenly  upon  their  works  without  being  aware  of  their 
proximity,  on  account  of  the  thick  brush,  and  we  received  a  very 
destructive  enfilading  fire.  Lieutenant  Oscar  Graetz,  commanding 
company  "F,"  was  killed,  and  Captain  William  N.  Remington 
and  Lieutenant  John  Timmons  were  severely  wounded  and  the 
loss  of  the  regiment  was  severe.  The  conduct  of  officers  and  men 
under  these  trying  circumstances  was  excellent.  I  moved  by  the 
right  flank  to  get  under  the  brow  of  a  hill.  We  were  not  two 
hundred  feet  from  the  enemy.  Here  we  W7ere  mixed  together 
with  the  twelfth  Massachusetts  regiment,  (Colonel  James  L. 
Bates).  The  enemy  poured  over  us  a  continual  storm  of  bullets. 


266 

We  now  saw  the  bodies  of  our  soldiers  burning  in  grass  and 
leaves  which  had  been  ignited  by  the  musketry.  Major  General 
Warren  soon  came  running  up  the  hill  to  have  a  look  at  the  rebel 
works,  when  I  seized  his  yellow  sash  and  pulled  him  violently 
back.  Colonel  S.  S.  Carroll  was  with  him.  To  have  exposed 
himself  above  the  hill  was  certain  death.  I  accompanied  General 
Warren  *to  another  point  where  we  secured  a  good  view  of  the 
rebel  works.  As  I  passed  along  with  the  General  I  noticed 
Private  Aaron  Yates,  of  company  "K,"  creeping  up  the  hill  to  get 
a  shot  at  the  enemy,  and  I  sharply  ordered  him  back  to  his 
company.  When  I  returned  he  lay  on  the  ground  dead.  Captain 
Robert  Hughes,  of  the  second  Wisconsin,  lay  dead  above  the 
brow  of  the  hill,  and  the  flames  in  the  burning  grass  were  coming 
toward  the  body.  Lieutenant  William  H.  Harries  made  a  line  of 
suspenders  taken  from  his  men,  and  crawling  flat  upon  the 
ground,  he  endeavored  to  cast  a  lasso  over  the  upturned  foot,  but 
failed  in  the  attempt.  After  remaining  for  a  time  which  I  cannot 
estimate  under  the  brow  of  this  hill,  clinging  to  the  ground  to 
escape  the  bullets,  we  again  retreated  to  our  breastworks.  On 
the  evening  of  this  day  (tenth),  a  grand  column  of  assault 
was  formed,  but  no  attack  was  made.  Until  the  morning  of  the 
twelfth  of  May  we  remained  in  our  breastworks,  subjected  to  the 
ceaseless  fire  of  the  enemy's  sharpshooters.  There  was  a  space 
of  perhaps  ten  feet  in  our  works  which  it  was  almost  certain 
death  to  go  upon.  Men  were  sent  to  me  from  Berdan's  Sharp 
shooters,  who  had  globe  sights  on  their  rifles,  to  dislodge  the 
rebel  marksman  who  had  the  range  on  this  spot,  but  two  of  them 
were  here  severely  wounded. 

The  morning  of  the  twelfth  of  May,  the  most  terrible  twenty- 
four  hours  of  our  service  in  the  war,  dawned  upon  us  worn  and 
exhausted  by  five  days  and  nights  of  continuous  service  under 
fire  of  the  enemy.  In  the  early  morning  we  again  charged  upon 
the  enemy  at  Laurel  Hill.  Our  brigade  was  in  the  front  line  and 
Colonel  Bragg's  brigade  was  in  the  second  line.  We  came  upon  one 
of  General  Crawford's  brigades  (Pennsylvania  Reserves), who  lay  in 
a  breastwork  near  the  rebel  line.  Here  a  halt  was  made.  Colonel 
Bragg,  for  some  reason,  now  assumed  command  of  our  two 
, brigades  and  ordered  me  to  lead  my.  regiment  forward  to  encour- 


267 

age  the  rest  to  follow.  I  quote  from  my  own  official  report : 
"Lieutenant  Chas.  P.  Hyatt,  Acting  Aide  on  the  staff  of  Colonel 
W.  W.  Robinson,  communicated  the  following  order  :  'Colonel 
Bragg  directs  that  the  sixth  Wisconsin  move  forward.'  I  im 
mediately  ordered  the  regiment  forward.  The  men  sprang 
over  the  breastwork  with  great  alacrity,  closely  followed  by 
Colonel  Bragg's  brigade  (the  Junior  Bucktails),  and  a  few  of 
General  Crawford's  men,  and  they  (our  regiment),  continued 
advancing  under  a  heavy  and  destructive  fire  for  several  rods, 
when,  finding  no  line  on  my  right  or  left,  so  far  as  I  could  see 
through  the  timber,  such  men  as  were  in  front  of  the  breastwork 
having  thrown  themselves  upon  the  ground  and  commenced 
firing,  I  ordered  my  line  to  halt  and  fire  until  the  troops  on  the 
right  and  left  should  move  to  our  support.  After  a  few  minutes 
of  rapid  firing,  suffering  meanwhile  severe  loss,  convinced  of  the 
futility  of  striving  without  support  to  advance  through  the  abattis 
in  our  front,  while  to  remain  longer  was  wanton  sacrifice  of  life, 
I  ordered  my  men  back  behind  the  breastwork.  *  *  *  The  fire 
of  the  enemy  at  such  short  range  was  unusually  fatal,  a  large 
proportion  of  the  wounds  proving  mortal.  I  can  not  speak  too 
highly  of  officers  and  men.  They  advanced  to  this  desperate 
assault  readily  and  earnestly  and  stood  up  (upright)  with  heroic 
tenacity  when  it  became  evident  that  their  effort  could  not 
achieve  success." 

There  was  no  disorganization  or  .demoralization  in  falling  back 
under  fire  to  the  breastwork.  Several  of  my  best  and  truest  men 
were  killed.  This  assault  was  manifestly  hopeless  at  the  outset. 
Company  "H"  suffered  terribly,  owing  to  the  fact  that  they  stood 
where  a  road  passed  through  the  woods.  Their  First  Sergeant, 
a  fine  soldier,  Nicholas  Snyder,  was  killed  and  half  of  the  men 
present  were  killed  or  wounded. 

On  the  afternoon  of  May  twelfth  the  brigade  marched  four 
miles  to  the  left,*  with  orders  to  assist  the  sixth  army  corps,  who 
were  fighting  over  the  breastworks  at  the  "Bloody  Angle."  As 
we  lay  in  reserve  several  of  our  men  were  wounded  by  scattering 

"*0n  the  12th  we  were  under  arms  at  daylight  and  again  assaulted  the 
enemy's  works  without  success      *          *     I  was  ordered  to  report  with  my 
•command    to  Majo**  General  Wright. "(sixth  corps.)      Report  General   L. 
Cutler. 


268 

shots  from  the  enemy.  We  were  in  plain  view  of  this  dreadful 
struggle,  one  of  the  fiercest  and  most  deadly  of  the  war.  The 
lines  of  colors  of  both  armies  stood  waving  within  twenty  feet  of 
each  other  and  there  was  a  continual  roar  and  crash  of  musketry. 
About  dusk,  in  the  midst  of  a  driving  rain  storm,  we  marched, 
two  miles  perhaps,  to  our  right,  and  began  in  the  night  the  con 
struction  of  a  breastwork  ;  then  my  regiment  was  selected  for 
picket  duty.  Another  order  came,  and  it  required  that  we 
should  march  back  at  once  to  the  "Bloody  Angle."  The  unbroken 
roar  of  musketry  continued  in  the  darkness  of  the  night.  We 
formed  our  line  in  rear  of  the  troops  engaged  and  our  orders  were 
to  move  forward  to  their  relief.  The  mud  was  half  boot  top 
deep  and  filled  with  the  dead  of  the  battle,  over  whom  we  stumbled 
in  the  darkness.  Upon  reaching  my  position  I  ordered  the 
regiment  to  open  fire. 

We  stood  perhaps  one  hundred  feet  from  the  enemy's  line,  and 
so  long  as  we  maintained  a  continual  fire  they  remained  hidden 
in  their  entrenchments.  But  if  an  attempt  to  advance  was  made, 
an  order  would  be  given  and  they  would  all  rise  up  together  and 
fire  a  volley  upon  us.  They  had  constructed  their  works  by 
digging  an  entrenchment  about  four  feet  deep,  in  which  at  intervals 
there  were  traverses  to  protect  the  flanks.  This  had  the  effect  of 
making  a  row  of  cellars  without  drainage,  and  in  them  was 
several  inches  of  mud  and  water.  To  protect  their  heads,  they 
had  placed  ?n  front  logs  which  were  laid  upon  blocks,  and  it  was 
intended  to  put  their  muskets  through  the  chinks  under  the 
head  logs,  but  in  the  darkness  this  became  impracticable  and  the 
head  log  proved  a  serious  obstruction  to  their  firing.  For 
eighteen  hours  without  cessation  our  troops  aimed  their  muskets 
at  these  head  logs,  some  of  which  were  destroyed,  and  the  bullets 
passing  beyond  in  this  plane  cut  off  the  tree,  the  stump  of  which 
may  now  be  seen  in  the  Ordnance  Museum  of  the  War  Depart 
ment  at  Washington.  This  tree  stood  behind  the  enemy's 
works.  This  is  the  true  explanation  of  that  phenomenon. 

But  to  return  to  our  own  experience.  I  soon  found  that  the 
supply  of  cartridges  in  the  boxes  of  the  men  would  not  hold  out. 
I  systematized  the  firing  from  right  to  left  of  companies  and  sent 
half  a  dozen  men  after  cartridges.  One  man  only  returned  and 


269 

he  brought  a  wooden  box  of  packed  cartridges  weighing,  I  believe, 
eighty  pounds.  To  wade  through  the  mud  on  that  awful  night, 
.stumbling  over  the  dead,  and  carrying  that  heavy  box,  was  a 
labor  of  heroic  faithfulness  which  merits  the  highest  praise. 
During  the  early  hours  of  the  night  the  rain  poured  down  in 
torrents.  Sometime  in  the  night  I  suspected  that  the  enemy 
were  retreating,  and  I  cra\vled  up  with  one  man  and  satisfied 
myself  that  they  had  gone.  I  then  ceased  firing  and  my 
exhausted  men  lay  down  as  best  they  could  and  some  laid  their 
heads  upon  the  dead  and  fell  asleep.  In  the  morning  the  rebel 
works  presented  an  awful  spectacle.  The  cellars  were  crowded 
with  dead  and  wounded,  lying  in  some  cases  upon  each  other  and 
in  several  inches  of  mud  arid  water.  I  saw  the  body  of  a  rebel 
soldier  sitting  in  the  corner  of  one  of  these  cellars  in  a  position  of 
apparent  ease,  with  the  head  entirely  gone,  and  the  flesh  burned 
from  the  bones  of  the  neck  and  shoulders.  This  was  doubtless 
caused  by  the  explosion  of  a  shell  from  some  small  Cohorn 
mortars  within  our  lines.  The  mortar  shell  is  thrown  high  in 
the  air,  and  comes  down  directly  from  above. 

On  the  morning  of  May  i3th,  the  men  were  in  a  deplorable 
condition  of  exhaustion,  and  I  marched  the  regiment  away  from 
the  horrible  scenes  at  the  "Bloody  Angle,"  and  allowed  the  men 
to  lie  down  and  rest  in  the  woods  near  at  hand.  The  other  regi 
ments  of  the  brigade  had  marched  back  to  their  old  position  at 
Laurel  Hill.  During  the  afternoon  we  marched  to  that  point  and 
rejoined  the  brigade.  All  night  of  May  i3th,  we  were  on  the 
march.  For  an  account  of  this  night's  march  I  will  quote  from 
Swinton's  History  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac :  "The  fifth  corps, 
during  the  night  of  May  i3th,  marched  from  its  position  on  the 
extreme  right,  to  take  position  on  the  extreme  left.  *  *  The 
march  began  at  10  P.  M.  The  wet  weather,  however,  had  badly 
broken  up  the  roads,  and  the  night  being  one  of  Egyptian  dark 
ness,  the  move  was  made  with  immense  difficulty.  The  route  of 
march  was  past  the  Landrum  House  to  the  Ny  river,  which  had 
to  be  waded.  Across  the  Ny  the  route  followed  no  road,  but 
traversed  the  fields  and  a  piece  of  woods,  where  a  track  had  been 
cut.  Here,  midway  of  the  journey,  a  dense  fog  arose  and  covered 
the  ground  so  that  not  even  the  numerous  fires  that  had  been 


270 

built  to  guide  the  column  could  be  seen.  The  men,  exhausted 
with  wading  through  mud  knee  deep,  and  in  the  darkness,  fell 
asleep  all  along  the  way." 

On  May  i4th  we  constructed  an  entrenchment  directly  in  front 
of  Spottsylvania  Court  House,  where  we  remained  until  the 
movement  of  the  army  in  the  direction  of  the  North  Anna  river. 
The  casualties  in  the  regiment  from  May  8th  to  2ist,  near  Spott 
sylvania  numbered  eighty-three.  Two  officers  were  killed  and 
three  wounded.  Eight  men  were  killed,  sixty-five  wounded,  and 
five  missing. 

ECHOES  OF  SPOTTSYLVANIA. 

The  following  is  a  letter  from  my  father  to  the  Honorable  Sal 
mon  P.  Chase.  At  the  top  of  the  sheet  is  a  slip  cut  from  a  daily 
newspaper. 

"Colonel  Dawes  of  the  sixth  Wisconsin  was  killed  yesterday 
while  gallantly  leading  his  men  to  a  charge.  This  regiment  has 
suffered  terribly." 

MAUSTON,  JUNEAU  COUNTY,  WISCONSIN,  MAY  i8th,  1864. 
HON.  S.  P.  CHASE, 

"My  dear  Sir: — The  Colonel  Dawes  referred  to,  I  greatly  fear, 
is  my  son,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Rufus  R.  Dawes,  who  was  in  com 
mand  of  the  sixth  Wisconsin  Veteran  Volunteers,  fourth  division, 
fifth  army  corps.  He  was  in  command  on  Tuesday,  the  loth 
inst.,  when  he  is  reported  as  having  been  killed.  He  commanded 
the  regiment  also  at  Antietam  and  Gettysburg.  He  had  escaped 
unharmed  through  fifteen  hard  fought  battles.  He  was  shot 
down,  as  I  am  informed,  while  waving  his  battle  flag  and  exerting 
himself  to  the  uttermost  to  steady  his  ranks  when  wavering.  I 
write  to  ask  whether  the  Government  cannot  rescue  his  remains 
from  the  rebel  woods  near  Spottsylvania.  My  esteemed  friend, 
is  it  too  much  for  me  to  ask  of  you,  to  place  this  letter  in  the 
hands  of  the  proper  authorities,  coupled  with  such  an  endorse 
ment  as  will  secure  a  compliance  with  my  request?  *  *  *  * 

Very  truly  yours, 

HENRY  DAWES. 

P.  S.  There  is  a  bare  possibility  that  my  son  is  living  either 
as  a  prisoner  or  in  hospital.  Any  definite  and  reliable  information 
will  be  most  gratefully  received." 


271 

The  letter  is  endorsed  as  follows :  "D  205 — S.  A.  O.  64.  H. 
Dawes,  Mauston,  Wisconsin,  wants  information  of  Colonel 
Dawes  of  the  sixth  Wisconsin  regiment,  killed  at  Spottsylvania. 
C  1103,  May  3oth,  1864.  Surg.  General  Report." 

This  next  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Salmon  P.  Chase:  "Respect 
fully  commended  to  the  Secretary  of  War.  If  it  be  at  all  possi 
ble,  I  earnestly  desire  that  Judge  Dawes'  wishes  concerning  his 
brave  son  may  be  gratified.  S.  P.  CHASK. 

MAY  28th,  1864." 

"Respectfully  referred  to  the  Surgeon  General,  for  any  infor 
mation  he  has  or  can  obtain,  relating  to  Colonel  Dawes.  By  order 
of  the  Secretary  of  War.  LOUIS  H.  PELOUZ,  Ass't  Adj't  Gen'l. 

W.  D.  May  3oth,  1864." 

"Respectfully  referred  to  Medical  Director  McParlin,  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  for  report.  These  papers  to  be  returned  with 
report.  By  order  of  the  Acting  Surgeon  General. 

C.  H.  CRANE,  Surgeon  U.  S.  A. 

S.  G.  Office,  May  3ist,  1864." 

"HEADQUARTERS  ARMY  OF  POTOMAC,  M.  D.  O.,  | 
NEAR  COLD  HARBOR,  JUNE  5th,  1864.      j 

Respectfully  referred  to  the  Medical  Director  fifth  corps  for 
report.  These  papers  to  be  returned. 

THOMAS  A.  MCPARLIN, 
Surgeon  U.  S.  A.,  Medical  Director." 

"HEADQUARTERS  FIFTH  ARMY  CORPS,  M.  D.  O., 

JUNE  6th,  1864. 

Respectfully  referred  to  Surgeon  Chamberlain,  Surgeon  in 
Chief  fourth  division,  for  report.  These  papers  to  be  returned 
promptly.  JOHN  J.  MILHAU,  Surgeon  U.  S.  A., 

Medical  Director  Fifth  A.  C." 

"HEADQUARTERS  FOURTH  DIVISION,  FIFTH  ARMY  CORPS, 

JUNE  yth,  1864. 
Respectfully  referred  to  Surgeon  J.  H.  Beech,   twenty-fourth 
Michigan.     Surgeon  in  charge  of  first  brigade. 

C.  N.  CHAMBERLAIN, 
U.  S.V.  Surgeon  in  Chief,  fourth  division,  fifth  army  corps." 


272 

Respectfully  referred  to  lieutenant  Colonel  R.  R.  t)awes 
Please  to  return  report  through  Medical  Department. 

J.  H.  BEECH,  Surgeon  24th  Michigan, 
Surgeon  in  Chief  ist  brigade,  4th  division,  5th  corps  A  of  P. 

The  following  is  from  the  Mauston  Star,  of  Juneau  County, 
Wisconsin : 

"Lieutenant  Colonel  Dawes  probably  killed. — The  Chicago 
Tribune  has  a  dispatch  from  its  correspondent  in  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  in  which  we  find  this  sentence :  'Colonel  Dana  of 
the  sixth  Wisconsin  was  killed  yesterday,  (Tuesday  loth  inst.) 
while  gallantly  leading  a  charge  of  his  regiment.  This  regiment 
has  suffered  terribly."  We  think  the  name  given  is  a  misprint, 
and  that  the  name  meant  is  that  of  our  neighbor  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Dawes  of  that  regiment.  Fearing  this,  we  have  no  heart 
for  comment. 

It  may  be  a  glorious  fact  that  the  old  Sixth  has  again  well 
sustained  its  fame  as  one  of  the  best  regiments  in  the  gallant  and 
ever  true  'Iron  Brigade.'  Yet,  for  all  that,  who  can  read  the  last 
sentence  of  the  dispatch  'this  regiment  has  suffered  terribly,' 
without  a  shudder.  All  here,  wives,  children,  parents  and  friends, 
dread  yet  long  for  the  receipt  of  the  official  returns  of  the  killed 
and  wounded,  and  waiting,  suffer  agonies  unspeakable. 

Later  from  the  sixth  regiment. — Just  as  our  paper  is  ready  for 
the  press  we  have  letters  from  Washington  informing  us  that 
Colonel  Bragg,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Dawes,  and  Captain  Kellogg 
of  the  sixth  regiment  are  killed,  and  that  Captain  Remington  is 
wounded.  No  other  names  are  given,  but  we  are  told  that  the 
regiment  is  nearly  destroyed,  having  been,  as.  usual,  in  the  hottest 
part  of  the  fight.  This  sad  news  with  the  almost  certainty  that 
others  of  our  neighbors  have  fallen,  casts  a  gloom  over  our  village. 

Colonel  Dawes  left  here  as  Captain  of  the  company  raised  in 
this  county,  company  'K,'  sixth  regiment.  Captain  Kellogg  was 
his  First  Lieutenant.  Both  have  written  for  themselves  a 
glorious  history,  as  brave,  patriotic  and  good  soldiers.  A  bright 
future  was  before  them.  Their  memory  will  yet  live.  They 
sealed  their  devotion  to  the  cause  of  freedom  and  good  govern 
ment  with  their  lives,  and  their  mourners  are  our  whole  com 
munity." 


273 

From  the  Mauston  Star  of  May  25th,  1864. 

"Lieutenant  Colonel  Dawes  died  as  he  had  lived,  doing  his 
duty.  He  was  gallantly  leading  his  regiment,  charging  the  rebel 
line,  when,  the  fire  being  very  severe,  his  men  began  to  waver. 
To  encourage  and  stimulate  them  he  seized  the  colors  and  called 
them  forward.  This  rendered  him  a  conspicuous  mark  and  a 
bullet  from  a  rebel  sharpshooter  pierced  his  brain.  He  died 
covered  with  glory.  His  last  word  was  a  cheer  for  victory.  " 

In  my  youth  I  was  inclined  to  be  angry  at  these  publications ; 
but  in  my  age  I  am  growing  quite  proud  of  them. 


XIII. 

Forward  to  the  North  ylnrm — Brittle  of  Jericho  Ford — Battle  of  the 
North  Anna — Forward  Toward  Richmond — Battle  of  Bethesda 
Church — The  Pennsylvania  Reserves — "Pediculus  Vestimenti" 
—Battle  of  Cold  Ff arbor— Report  From  my  Brother  With  Sher 
man—In  the  Trenches— A  Bullet-proof  Chaplain— Lawson  Fen- 
ton— Death  of  Charles  B.  Gates  -A  Little  Rest— My  Brother  Shot 
at  Dallas — flis  ^Journey  Ffome. 

General  Cutler  was  now  in  permanent  command  of  our  divi 
sion.  In  this  great  and  trying  campaign  he  proved  himself  to  be 
one  of  the  bravest  and  most  faithful  commanders  in  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac.  I  quote  from  his  official  report,  an  account  of  our 
movement  from  Spottsylvania  toward  the  North  Anna  river  : 

"At  10:50  A.  M.,  on  the  twenty-first  of  May,  I  was  ordered  to 
retire  my  line  and  move  to  the  left.  I  withdrew  successfully,  and 
moved  off  toward  Guinea's  Station.  My  pickets,  however,  were 
attacked  while  retiring,  and  about  forty  men  were  captured.  I 
marched  to  Guinea's  Station  and  from  there  crossed  the  Matapony 
and  encamped,  sending  the  first  brigade  forward  about  three 
miles  on  the  road  toward  the  North  Anna."  My  own  report  says 
that  our  brigade  (first  brigade,)  entrenched  a  line  in  front  of  the 
Po  river  near  Thornburg.  We  wyere  in  plain  view  of  the  Tele 
graph  road,  and  along  that  road  passed  the  rebel  army  corps  of 
General  lyongstreet.  I  had  a  line  of  skirmishers  out  and  I  lay  on 
the  ground  a  long  time  on  the  skirmish  line  and  watched  this 
movfng  column  of  the  enemy.  We  marched  on  after  the  enemy 
had  passed  and  followed  them  on  the  Telegraph  road.  They  fired 
upon  us  with  artillery,  wThich  retreated  as  we  advanced.  That 
night  we  camped  near  Harris'  store,  and  at  five  o'clock,  A.  M. 
on  May  twenty-third,  we  marched  again  toward  the  South.  At 
5  P.  M.  we  crossed  the  North  Anna  river  at  Jericho  Ford,  and 
the  division  was  massed  on  the  southern  bank.  We  were  now 
directed  to  cook  our  supper,  and  the  worn,  tired,  hungry  soldiers 


LYSA.ND&R  CUTLER, 

BREVET  MAJOR  GENERAL  V.  S.    VOI.S. 


275 

obeyed  the  order  with  alacrity.     As  was  my  custom  at  every  halt, 
I  took  out  my  pencil  and  paper  and  began  a  letter  to  my  wife. 
(To  my  wife.)  MAY  23rd,  1864,  6  P.  M. 

"Alive,  well,  south  of  the  North  Anna  river  in  the  advance  of 
the  fifth  corps.  Battle  to-morrow — ." 

•  Here  the  crack  of  the  rifles  of  the  inevitable  rebel  skirmishers 
put  an  end  to  writing  letters  and  making  coffee.  We  were 
attacked  in  great  force  by  the  enemy. 

BATTLE  OF  JERICHO  FORD. 
(To  my  wife.)  BATTLE  FIELD,  MAY  24th,  8  A.  M. 

"I  had  barely  scratched  off  a  word  to  you  when  General  A.  P. 
Hill's  corps  of  the  rebel  army  attacked  the  portion  of  our  corps 
south  of  the  North  Anna  river,  hoping  to  make  a  Ball's  Bluff 
rout  of  our  troops.  For  an  hour  the  fight  raged  with  great  fury. 
My  regiment  stood  and  fought  like  men,  and  by  God's  blessing 
our  loss  was  small,  only  one  man  killed,  twelve  wounded.  (Two 
killed  and  eleven  wounded).  We  are  now  in  line  of  battle  await 
ing  the  enemy.  God  only  knows  what  the  day  may  bring  forth. 
We  came  near  being  driven  into  the  river,  but  the  enemy  has  lost 
vigor  in  attack.  Their  men  are  getting  so  they  will  not  fight 
except  in  rifle  pits.  My  conclusion  is  that  General  Hill's  corps 
could  be  defeated  on  an  open  field  by  half  their  number  of 
resolute  men.  The  very  positive  evidence  of  progress  has  greatly 
encouraged  this  army.  I  wonder  if  a  man  can  go  forever  without 
being  hurt  in  battle.  It  does  seem  as  though  your  prayers  were 
shielding  me." 

I  quote  from  my  own  official  report  the  account  of  the  com 
mencement  of  the  action  of  the  sixth  Wisconsin  in  the  battle  of 
Jericho  Ford  :  "About  six  in  the  evening  the  enemy's  skirmish 
ers  appeared  on  our  right,  when  the  brigade  moved  rapidly 
forward  (my  regiment  on  the  left),  to  form  on  the  right  of  the 
first  division  of  this  corps,  already  in  position  in  the  woods  in  our 
front.  In  compliance  with  directions  of  Colonel  Robinson  com 
manding  the  brigade,  I  placed  my  regiment  in  position  on  the 
right  of  a  breastwork  occupied  by  troops  of  the  first  division 
(Griffin's),  and  on  a  prolongation  of  their  line.  I  experienced 
much  difficulty,  owing  to  the  thick  and  tangled  brush.  I  im 
mediately  threw  forward  skirmishers  to  cover  my  front." 


276 

On  came  the  enemy  and  back  came  my  skirmishers.  I  could 
hear  heavy  musketry  and  the  charging  yell  of  the  rebels,  but  in 
the  thick  pine  brush  I  could  see  nothing.  The  troops  of  the  first 
division  in  the  rifle  pits  on  my  left  opened  a  fire  of  musketry.  I 
ordered  my  men  to  kneel  and  fire  toward  the  enemy  on  our  right 
who  were  attacking  our  own  brigade.  I  sent  Adjutant  Brooks 
to  look  out  of  the  edge  of  the  woods  and  report  to  me  the  progress 
of  the  battle.  He  came  running  back  and  reported  the  enemy 
driving  our  brigade  in  confusion  over  the  open  field.  This  out 
flanked  us  on  the  right.  I  had  the  regiment  .change  front  to 
throw  my  line  facing  the  enemy  on  our  flank,  and  while  doing  so 
a  regiment  of  the  first  division  broke  and  ran.  They  ran  through 
our  ranks  and  broke  the  regiment.  I  called  a  rally  on  the  colors 
just  outside  the  woods,  and  every  man  of  our  regiment  fell  into 
his  proper  place..  Here  in  the  open  field  was  Captain  Mink's 
battery  firing  away,  and  no  infantry  supporting  it.  Captain  Orr 
with  a  portion  of  the  nineteenth  Indiana,  and  Captain  Shippen 
with  the  battalion  of  Berdan's  Sharpshooters,  reported  to  me  as 
the  senior  officer  on  the  field.  I  put  them  in  line  on  my  right 
and  moved  my  force  in  line  of  battle  to  the  relief  of  that  glo 
rious  soldier,  Captain  Mink,  and  it  was  not  a  moment  too  soon. 
We  met  the  enemy  at  the  battery,  and  here  came  gallantly  to  our 
support,  the  eighty-third  Pennsylvania  of  the  first  division.  We 
drove  the  enemy  back.  Colonel  Robinson  had  fallen  back  to 
the  North  Anna  river  and  General  Cutler  ordered  me  to  join  the 
second  brigade  of  the  division  with  my  command,  which  I  did. 
We  now  advanced  in  a  new  line  of  battle  and  we  swept  the 
enemy  before  us  from  the  field.  I  quote  from  my  own  official 
report  :  "Being  separated  from  the  brigade  I  was  directed  by 
General  Cutler  to  report  to  Colonel  J.  W.  Hoffman,  commanding 
the  second  brigade,  with  my  command.  After  dark  the  line  was 
advanced  several  hundred  yards  and  entrenched.  My  men  were 
working  during  almost  the  entire  night  upon  the  breastworks. 
Through  this  affair  the  conduct  of  officers  and  men,  with  small 
exceptions,  was  admirable.  Lieutenant  John  Beely  was  twice 
wounded.  The  gallantry  of  Lieutenant  Beely  throughout  the 
campaign  was  conspicuous,  but  upon  this  occasion  I  esteem  his 
conduct  in  remaining  upon  the  field  after  being  seriously  wounded 


RUFUS  K.  LXAWBS, 

BREVET  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  I'.  S.    Y(>I.s. 


277 

until  struck  down  by  a  second  bullet,  which  penetrated  his  lungs, 
worthy  of  special  commendation,  Corporal  William  Hickok,  of 
company  'C,'  was  killed.  No  braver  soldier,  or  more  worthy 
young  man  has  given  life  in  this  struggle." 

Excepting  the  sixth  Wisconsin  and  nineteenth  Indiana,  the 
regiments  of  our  brigade  were  moved  at  dark  across  the  North 
Anna,  and  bivouacked  in  the  woods.  Our  colored  servants  asked 
at  brigade  headquarters  where  our  regiment  could  be  found,  and 
they  were  told  that  it  was  with  the  others.  But  they  searched  in 
vain  and  late  at  night  they  held  a  council.  Young  William  Jack 
son  alone  said :  "Youse  can  say'  what  youse  a  mind  to,  I'se  done 
gwine  over  the  river!"  He  waded  the  stream  waist  deep  and 
some  hours  later,  one  of  our  men  heard  in  the  darkness,  the 
words:  "Whar's  the  sixth  Wisconsin?"  The  poor  boy  was 
almost  exhausted,  but  he  found  us.  For  miles  in  that  dark  night 
he  had  stumbled  along  the  lines,  carrying  a  heavy  coffee  pot  and 
a  full  supper  for  our  mess.  To  him  the  officers  of  the  sixth 
Wisconsin  owed  this  comforting  relief  from  hunger  and 
exhaustion,  for  I  shared  it  with  them  all. 

BATTLE  OF  THE  NORTH  ANNA. 
(To  my  wife.)  LINE  OF  BATTLE,  MAY  25th,  1864. 

"We  are  again  closing  our  lines  for  a  desperate  battle.  The 
bullets  clip  through  the  green  leaves  over  my  head  as  I  lie 
behind  the  breastwork  writing.  I  have  had  no  full  night's  sleep 
since  May  yth,  when  I  took  command  of  the  regiment.  Day 
after  day,  and  night  after  night  we  have  marched,  fought  and 
dug  entrenchments ;  I  have  not  changed  my  clothing  since  May 
third.  We  have  not  seen,  and  seldom  communicated  with  our 
wagon  train.  I  have  not  composure  to  write,  as  the  bullets  are 
coming  so  thickly  through  the  limbs,  and  some  poor  wounded 
soldiers  are  near  me." 
(To  my  wrife.)  LINE  OF  BATTLE,  MAY  26th,  7  A.  M. 

"The  hot  firing  of  yesterday  has  died  down  this  morning  to 
only  about  ten  or  twelve  shots  a  minute.  We  are  confronting 
the  enemy  precisely  as  at  Spottsylvania,  when  your  father  visited 
me,  except  that  our  lines  of  battle  approach  each  other  more 
nearly.  It  is  raining  steadily.  I  have  a  little  shelter  tent  with 
logs  piled  up  at  the  end  toward  the  enemy  to  stop  bullets,  and  I 


278 

lie  on  the  ground  as  I  write.  I  presume  General  Grant  will  not 
make  an  assault  upon  the  enemy  in  their  entrenchments.  They 
get  stronger  in  men  as  we  get  nearer  Richmond,  and  their  works 
are  probably  as  elaborately  prepared  as  those  at  Spottsylvania. 
Our  battle  on  Monday  evening,  (Jericho  Ford)  is  probably  as 
severe  and  general  as  any  that  will  be  fought  on  this  line.  The 
repulse  of  Butler  has  a  material  bearing  upon  the  situation  here. 

The  rain  storm  became  violent.  A  little  run  near  my  tent 
assumed  the  proportions  of  a  torrent,  and  drove  me  out  into  the 
storm.  I  hope  you  will  get  the  poor  pencil  scrawls  I  have  sent 
you  during  the  campaign.  For  the  first  four  days  I  had  abso 
lutely  no  opportunity  to  write,  and  not  until  after  our  occupa 
tion  of  Fredericksburgh  was  there  any  mail  sent  away  from  the 
army.  You  are  mistaken  about  that  first  week,  being  the  most 
encouraging  in  my  war  experience.  We  were*  repulsed  and 
slaughtered  in  every  attack  we  made.  By  continued,  persistent, 
and  generally  unsuccessful  assaults  and  charges,  and  by  skillful 
maneuvering,  General  Grant  worried  out  the  enemy  and  forced 
him  to  fall  back  by  flanking  him,  when  too  much  exhausted  and 
demoralized  to  fight  us  in  the  open  field.  He  has  forced  him 
back  of  the  North  Anna.  Now  I  conjecture  the  next  effort  will 
be  to  form  a  junction  with  Butler  in  the  direction  of  West  Point, 
by  again  moving  around  the  enemy's  right!  flank,  constantly  as 
before  threatening  him  with  battle,  should  he  leave  his  entrench 
ments." 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  letter  that  the  general  plan  for  the  move 
ment  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  quite  well  understood  in 
the  army. 

"You  have  me  too  badly  wounded  in  your  picture.  I  should 
stand  a  poor  chance  of  getting  alive  to  Fredericksburgh  and 
Washington.  But  the  picture  is  very  attractive,  and  I  shall 
endeavor  to  get  the  wound  in  the  next  battle." 

(To  my  wife.)  SUNDAY  MORNING,  MAY  29th,  1864.  ) 

NEAR  HANOVER  TOWN,     j 

"Two  days  and  nights  of  incessant  marching  has  placed  us 
within  seventeen  miles  of  Richmond,  the  heart  of  the  rebellion. 
A  glorious  achievement !  The  thousands  of  this  army  are  full  of 

*This  refers  to  our  own  corps. 


279 

admiration  and  gratitude  for  the  man  who  has  pushed  back  the 
rebel  army  thirty  miles  without  a  general  battle.  (North  Anna 
to  Cold  Harbor.)  The  nearer  we  get  to  an  investment  of  Rich 
mond,  the  less  we  regard  our  danger  of  bloody  fighting,  and  our 
men  are  intensely  anxious  to  get  forward  as  far  as  their  legs 
without  help  of  their  muskets  will  carry  them.  Our  advance  is 
now  within  fourteen  miles  of  Richmond.  We  are  now  waiting 
in  line  to  move  forward." 

This  letter  breathes  of  the  inspiration  of  victory,  and  shows 
what,  a  tonic  there  is  to  a  weary  soldier  in  success.  We  crossed 
the  Pamunky  at  11:30  A.  M.,  on  the  28th,  and  on  the  2gth  moved 
forward  to  Hawes'  store.  On  the  3oth,  we  again  moved  forward 
and  became  engaged  in  battle. 

BATTLE  OF  BETHESDA  CHURCH. 
LINE  OF  BATTLE  TWELVE  MILES  FROM  RICHMOND, 
(To  my  wife.)  MAY  3ist,  1864. 

"We  were  again  in  battle  yesterday,  but  nobody  was  hurt. 
There  \vas  a  great  deal  of  double  quicking  in  the  dust  and 
building  breastworks.  My  force  was  a  reserve.  I  am  now  in 
command  of  three  regiments,  the  sixth  Wisconsin,  seventh  Wis 
consin,  and  nineteenth  Indiana.  I  commanded  this  force  in  the 
battle.  I  report  to  Colonel  Bragg.  I  am  feeling  in  much  better 
spirits.  We  cannot  help  hoping  the  worst  is  over,  now  that  our 
great  leader  has  pushed  the  enemy  almost  to  the  wall,  without  a 
general  battle  since  Spottsylvania.  The  enemy  was  repulsed  last 
night  with  great  loss,  in  their  attack  upon  us.  If  w7e  can  force 
the  enemy  to  attack  us  in  entrenchments,  we  shall  feel  quite 
happy  over  the  prospect. 

We  have  reason  to  hope  Major  Plummer  may  be  alive,  badly 
wounded,  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy/  Captain  Thomas  W. 
Plummer,  his  brother,  commands  the  regiment,  while  I  command 
the  three  regiments." 

Captain  Thomas  W.  Plummer  was  a  quiet  and  faithful  officer. 
He  was  one  of  those  men  of  whom  little  is  said  but  much 
expected,  and  in  his  case  there  was  never  any  disappointment. 

I  was  ordered  to  move  my  command  in  the  battle  of  Bethesda 
Church,  with  the  utmost  haste  in  the  direction  of  the  Pennsylva 
nia  Reserves,  who  were  being  attacked  by  the  enemy,  and  whose 


280 

term  of  service  had  expired.  It  was  a  supreme  test  of  the  fidelity 
of  these  men  to  thejr  country,  but  the  old  Reserve  never  in  its 
long  and  arduous  service  in  the  war,  fought  a  better  battle  than 
they  did  upon  this  day.  I  ran  the  men  through  the  dust  and 
heat  and  formed  them  on  the  right  of  the  Reserves  in  line  of 
battle.  In  this  movement  I  came  upon  a  brass  band  belonging 
to  one  of  our  ^Pennsylvania  regiments.  They  were  playing  the 
air  to  which  these  words  were  sung  during  the  war : 

"McClellan  is  our  leader,  he  is  gallant  and  strong, 
For  God  and  for  freedom,  we  are  marching  along." 

Before  we  had  reached  them,  the  Pennsylvania  Reserves  had 
repulsed  the  enemy.  I  formed  my  line  in  the  woods  on  the  right 
of  the  Reserves  and  was  ordered  to  construct  a  breastwork.  The 
men  had  been  for  days  in  the  sun  and  dust,  and  they  now  came 
into  a  shady  woods.  I  established  the  regiment  upon  the  left 
and  rode  toward  the  right,  completing  the  establishment  of  the 
line.  I  then  rode  back  to  the  left  to  see  how  the  men  were  pro 
gressing  in  the  construction  of  their  breastwork.  I  found  them 
stripped  of  coats  and  shirts,  and  engaged  in  killing  "gray  backs," 
pediculus  vestimenti.  They  said  it  was  the  first  shade  they  had 
been  in  for  a  week,  and  they  must  improve  their  opportunity. 
This  pest  was  a  grievous  trial,  and  it  was  assuming  serious  pro 
portions  in  the  army.  The  only  effective  remedy  was  to  boil  the 
shirts.  These  garments  being  woolen  shrunk  under  this  process, 
so  that  the  men  could  with  difficulty  get  into  them. 

There  was  a  law  authorizing  a  field  officer  to  frank  letters  for 
enlisted  men  thus:  "Soldier's  letter. — R.  R.  Dawes,  Lieutenant 
Colonel  sixth  Wisconsin  Veteran  Volunteers."  Once  a  man 
brought  to  me  one  of  his  shrunk  up  shirts  in  a  package,  to  be 
franked  by  mail.  He  said  he  thought  it  would  about  fit  the  baby. 

COLD  HARBOR  CAMPAIGN. 
(To  my  wife.)  LINK  OF  BATTLE,  MAY  3ist,  6  P.  M. 

"Alive  and  well.  There  has  been  heavy  fighting  along  most 
of  the  line.  Of  the  results  we  know  nothing.  There  is  a  hot 
fire  going  on  on  our  left  as  I  write." 


|  pit  was  the  band  of  the  eighth  Pennsylvania  Reserves  and  I  suppose 
they  played  to  encourage  the  men  who  were  fighting. 


281 

(To  my  wife.)  LINK.  OF  BATTLE,  JUNE  ist,  6  P.  M. 

"I  am  alive,  well,  and  just  as  dirty  as  I  can  be.  Can  not  get 
time  even  to  get  into  a  creek,  and  there  is  no  creek  to  get  into. 
No  fighting  for  us  since  I  last  wrote,  of  any  serious  account,  but 
constant  marching,  countermarching  and  building  breastworks." 

Extracts  from  letters  from  my  brother  with  Sherman's  army, 
received  in  the  works  at  Cold  Harbor : 

RESACA,  GA.,  MAY  i6th,  1864. 

"On  May  i2th,  our  regiment  was  transferred  from  the  fourth 
division,  fifteenth  corps,  to  Morgan  L.  Smith's  second  division, 
fifteenth  corps  and  we  were  assigned  to  Lightburn'sfsecond  brigade. 
We  were  in  the  battles  of  the  i3th  and  i4th,  and  were  close  to 
the  rebel  works  all  day  of  the  i5th.  We  lost  fifty  men  killed  and 
wounded.  The  charge  of  our  division  on  the  i4th,  capturing 
the  rebel  rifle  pits  east  of  Camp  creekj  was  the  prettiest  thing  I 
ever  saw.  We  uniformly  whipped  the  rebels  in  our  front.  Our 
men  were  absolutely  wild  with  enthusiasm.  The  regiment  was 
highly  complimented  by  Generals  Logan,  Smith,  and  Lightburn, 
and  Colonel  Jones  has  been  especially  recommended  for  promo 
tion  by  them." 

KINGSTON,  GEORGIA,  MAY  2ist,  1864. 

"On  this  campaign  we  have  no  tents.  Field  officers  are  per 
mitted  to  take  only  what  they  can  carry  on  their  horses.  Our 
marching  order  has  just  come  in.  We  start  Monday,  the  23rd. 
The  order  says,  'take  twrenty  days'  rations  of  hard  bread,  coffee, 
and  salt,  and  expect  to  be  independent  of  the  railroad'  for  that 
time.  We  will  meet  and  defeat  the  rebel  army  somewhere  be 
tween  here  and  Atlanta. 

We  have  a  large  and  well  appointed  army,  well  officered  and  in 
better  spirits  than  I  ever  saw  an  army  in  my  life.  The  railroad 
trains  from  Chattanooga,  ran  to  Kingston  as  soon  as  the  army 
reached  there.  Next  Friday  is  my  twenty-fourth  birthday;  per 
haps  we  will  have  another  fight  by  that  time.*  Colonel  Jones 
has  just  sent  up  the  official  report  of  the  regiment  at  Resaca.  In 
it  he  was  kind  enough  to  say :  'Major  Dawes,  whose  coolness  and 

*As  will  be  later  Been  Major  Dawes  came  within  one  day  of  it  in  his 
guess.  Friday  was  the  27th  ;  Saturday,  May  28th,  was  fought  the  battle  of 
Dallas. 


282 

courage  did  much  to  inspire  the  men,  is  worthy  of  particular 

mention.'" 

(To  my  wife.)  LINE  OF  BATTLE,  JUNE  3rd,  1864,  6  P.  M. 

"Yesterday  afternoon  and  all  day  to-day,  battle  has  been  raging 
around  us,  but  by  a  kind  Providence  our  part  has  been  light.  One 
man  killed  and  seven  wounded  are  our  total  casualties  for  the  two 
days.  We  are  strongly  entrenched  and  only  artillery  can  harm 
us.  We  can  not  show  our  heads  above  the  works  without  being 
immediately  shot  at.  The  men  try  putting  hats  on  ramrods  and 
sticking  them  up  and  sometimes  get  a  bullet  through  the  hat. 

Thirty-one  days  to-day  this  terrible  campaign  has  dragged 
along.  God  grant  it  soon  over.  We  know  absolutely  nothing  of 
how  the  battle  is  going.  We  can  only  do  our  duty  and  hope  all 
is  well." 

To  protect  my  own  headquarters  I  piled  up  logs  in  an  angle 
and  threw  a  pile  of  earth  in  front  of  them. 

LINE  OF  BATTLE,  JUNE  4th,  3  P.  M. 

"We  are  still  hiding  away  from  bullets  of  rebel  sharpshooters. 
The  line  of  works  where  we  are  is  very  crooked  and  we  get 
bullets  and  artillery  shots  from  nearly  all  points  of  the  Compass. 
But  so  long  as  our  orders  only  require  us  'to  hold  our  line  at  all 
hazards,'  we  are  well  satisfied  with  our  part  in  the  battle.  I  can 
not  tell  you  how  tedious  and  trying  this  campaign  has  become. 
Thirty  days  of  toil,  danger  and  bloodshed,  and  we  can  see  yet 
small  prospect  of  an  end  to  it.  We  are  nine  miles  from  Rich 
mond,  and  our  left,  by  desperate  fighting,  is  said  to  have  been 
pushed  nearer.  Our  casualties  in  the  regiment  now  amount  to 
one  hundred  and  seventy  men  killed  and  wounded.  By  general 
orders  we  make  a  daily  report  of  killed  and  wounded,  and  we 
always  have  some.  How  long  will  it  take  to  whittle  us  away  ? 
Our  new  chaplain  reported  for  duty  to-day.  He  came  directly 
to  the  front  where  the  bullets  were  whistling.  I  like  his  looks. 
He  is  a  graduate  of  Oberlin  College.  He  brings  us  little  news. 
If  we  could  know  something  it  would  be  a  little  easier  to  be  all 
day  in  our  holes,  waiting  and  dreading  the  future.  It  seems  as 
though  my  sensibilities  were  deadened  by  this  constant,  wearing 
pressure.  I  do  think  this  army  has  shown  itself  the  longest 
suffering  and  hardest  fighting  army  of  the  war.  A  shell  exploded 


283 

to-day  in  the  log  breastwork  I  had  put  up  for  my  headquarters, 
and  it  showered  us  with  dirt,  and  one  fragment  came  through  but 
did  no  injury." 

The  arrival  of  our  Chaplain,  as  it  was  attended  with  no  casualty, 
was  rather  an  amusing  affair.  Ignorant  of  the  danger  attending 
such  an  exposure  of  himself,  he  came  directly  to  the  front.  In 
approaching  our  line  from  the  rear,  it  looked  like  a  bee  hive,  but 
nothing  could  be  seen  of  the  enemy,  except  the  puffs  of  powder 
smoke  of  the  sharpshooters.  In  daylight  it  was  almost  certain 
death  to  come  under  their  aim.  We  saw  a  lone  man  walking 
deliberately  toward  our  headquarters.  In  vain  the  soldiers 
shouted  "Lie  down !"  "Tree !"  "Gopher !"  "Grab  a  root,  you  -  -  old 
fool!"  Blissfully  unconscious  that  he  was  a  target  and  a  walking 
miracle  to  have  escaped. injury  from  the  enemy's  fire,  Mr.  Cochran 
had  no  thought  that  these  remarks  were  addressed  to  himself. 

By  some  foolish  order,  the  drummer  boys  of  the  regiment 
had  been  sent  out  to  the  breastworks  that  day,  and  I  took 
them  in  my  fort.  They  were  young  and  full  of  life,  and  Larry 
O'Neal,  of  company  "D,"  while  dancing,  at  which  he  was  an 
expert,  got  outside  the  works  and  received  a  bullet  in  his  knee. 
He  never  danced  again.  The  Chaplain  was  indeed  a  God-send  to 
this  poor  suffering  boy.  He  dressed  his  wound  with  almost  the 
skill  of  an  experienced  surgeon. 

Lawson  Fenton,  of  company  "A,"  incautiously  xaised  his  head 
above  the  breastwork.  A  bullet  passed  through  his  brain,  a  great 
portion  of  which  protruded  from  the  wound.  He  was  a  brave 
soldier  and  a  favorite  with  his  comrades  and  with  his  officers. 
Lieutenant  Howard  J.  Huntington  prepared  with  great  care  a 
head  board  for  his  grave,  which  was  dug  in  the  darkness  of  the 
night  succeeding  and  the  head  board  was  inscribed;  but  on  the 
next  morning  Fenton  was  still  alive,  and  it  was  three  days  before 
life  became  extinct.  Poor  fellow !  he  was  wounded  severely  at 
Antietam ;  and  when  I  visited  our  boys  in  Smoketown  hospital, 
near  that  field,  I  found  him  bravely  enduring  his  suffering  and 
cheering  all  by  his  hopeful  spirit. 

On  the  evening  of  June  fifth  we  moved  to  near  Cold  Harbor. 
Colonel  E.  S.  Bragg  was  assigned  to  command  of  our  brigade, 
relieving  Colonel  Robinson. 


284 

(To  my  wife.)  GAINES'  FARM,  JUNK  6th,  1864. 

"I  have  received  your  father's  note  announcing  Charley's 
$eath.  How  strange  that  so  suddenly,  while  you  have  suffered 
so  long  in  dread  of  harm  to  me,  I  am  safe,  and  Charley  is  called  to 
his  grave.  Truly,  we  can  not  tell  what  is  in  store  for  us.  I  am 
well.  We  marched  all  night.  We  had  a  sharp  skirmish  yesterday." 

Charles  Beman  Gates  had  been  tenderly  cherished  by  a  devoted 
father  and  loving  mother,  and  as  he  was  only  two  years  younger 
than  my  wife,  they  had  been  in  life  inseparable  companions. 

He  was  not  prepared  for  the  stern  hardships  of  war,  but  when 
I  was  at  Marietta  I  saw  that  he  was  full  of  zealous  ardor  to  act  a 
part  in  the  great  historic  drama.  He  said  to  me,  "You  belong  to 
the  'Iron  Brigade';  how  do  you  think  I  will  feel  to  take  no  part 
in  the  war,  and  be  in  the  same  family?"  Of  tall  and  manly 
figure,  he  was  a  splendid  youth,  and  he  was  of  warm  and  noble 
impulses,  and  of  pure  and  lofty  character.  As  I  lay  in  the 
works  at  Cold  Harbor,  I  saw  William  Jackson  come  running 
toward  us.  He  dodged  from  tree  to  tree,  and  crawled  upon  the 
ground  to  escape  the  fire  of  the  rebel  sharpshooters.  A  letter 
had  come  from  Washington  directed  to  be  delivered  "quickly." 
It  said :  "Charley  died  at  Harper's  Ferry  on  Tuesday." 

(To  my  wife.)  BANKS  OF  THE  CHICKAHOMINY, 

JUNE  8th,  1864,  4  P.  M. 

"We  came  down  here  to-day,  and  are  located  on  the  left  flank 
of  our  army,  and  we  are  at  last  out  from  under  the  fire  of  the 
enemy.  I  have  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  a  good  wash,  a  change  of 
clothing,  and  a  mess  of  wild  strawberries.  It  does  seem  pleasant 
to  get  even  for  a  few  hours  out  of  the  presence  of  death,  suffer 
ing  and  danger.  Our  spirits  rise  wonderfully.  It  is  impossible 
for  one  who  has  not  undergone  it,  to  fully  understand  the  depres 
sion  of  spirits  caused  by  such  long,  continued,  and  bloody  fight 
ing  and  work.  Colonel  Bragg  said  yesterday:  'Of  all  I  have 
gone  through,  I  can  not  now  write  an  intelligent  account.  I  can 
only  tell  my  wife  I  am  alive  and  well.  I  am  too  stupid  for  any 
use.'  We  are  having  the  first  quiet  day  for  more  than  a  month. 
General  Cutler  said  that  this  is  the  first  day,  for  that  length  of 
time,  that  no  man  in  the  division  has  been  reported  killed  or 


CHARLES  T3.  GATES, 

FIRST    LIEUT.  CO.    A.   1-18TH  OHIO. 
NATIONAL  GUARD. 


285 

wounded.     The  weather  is  bright  and  sunny,  and  our  location  is 
delightful." 

BIVOUAC  NEAR  RAILROAD  CROSSING  OF  CHICKAHOMINY,  ) 
(To  my  wife.)  JUNE  9th,  1864.      j 

"All  is  quiet  here  with  us.  We  can  plainly  see  the  enemy 
south  of  the  Chickahorniny.  Our  pickets  are  friendly,  and  we 
get  the  morning  papers  from  Richmond  by  10  o'clock  in  the 
forenoon.  We  have  heard  from  Captain  Kellogg  as  alive  and  a 
prisoner.  I  at  once  wrote  to  his  wife  informing  her  of  the  fact. 
He  has  come  back  to  her  out  of  the  grave,  for  we  all  believed 
him  dead.  Colonel  Bragg  has  been  assigned  to  command  of  our 
brigade.  I  have  great  trouble  in  getting  the  company  business 
attended  to,  so  many  of  our  officers  are  gone." 

In  this  bivouac  the  new  chaplain  addressed  the  men  in  strong, 
earnest,  and  well  adapted  sermons.  His  talk  was  patriotic  as 
well  as  religious,  and  highly  acceptable  to  our  men.  Mr.  Cochran 
was  too  old  a  man  for  the  hard  service  he  had  undertaken,  and 
he  soon  became  very  sick. 

BIVOUAC  ON  CHICKAHOMINY,  JUNE  nth,  1864. 
11  My  dear  sister: — From  what  Mary  says,  I  have  great  hope 
that  my  poor  brother  is  not  so  desperately  hurt  as  your  note 
would  indicate.  But,  at  best,  I  fear  he  is  terribly  wounded.  I 
have  strong  faith  that  he  will  not  die,  but  I  know  he  must  suffer 
long  and  acutely,  and  perhaps  be  sadly  disfigured.  The  surgeons 
tell  me  that  bullet  wounds  in  the  jaw  seldom  prove  fatal,  though 
always  intensely  painful  and  distressing,  on  account  of  neuralgia, 
and  are  liable  to  interfere  with  the  voice.  His  sufferings  he  will 
bear  patiently,  like  a  true  man,  as  he  has  always  proved  him 
self.  To  be  severely  wounded  is  something  he  has  prepared 
himself  to  meet,  and  he  will  accept  his  fate,  I  know,  bravely  and 
cheerfully.  It  will  be  gratifying  to  hear  that  he  is  at  home, 
where  he  will  get  every  care  and  comfort,  and  where  his  chances 
for  recovery  are  many  times  increased.  It  he  gets  safely  home, 
I  shall  feel  very  sure  he  will  get  well.  Poor  Charley!  How 
strange,  all  should  be  struck  down  and  I  safe  through  days  and 
weeks  of  this  perilous  storm  of  battle.  We  have  to  add  to  the 
list  on  our  flag,  Wilderness,  Laurel  Hill,  Spottsylvania,  Jericho 
Ford,  Shady  Grove  Church,  and  Cold  Harbor,  where  fifty  thou- 


sand  men  have  fallen,  and  no  harm  has  come  to  me.  Surely  a 
kind  Providence  has  watched  over  and  preserved  me  through  the 
'Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death.'  " 

Extract  from  a  letter  from  Major  B.  C.  Dawes  of  June  nth, 
1864,  received  in  this  camp. 

"I  was  shot  at  Dallas,  Georgia,  two  weeks  ago  to-day.  We 
were  in  rifle  .pits.  The  rebels  charged  us.  We  gave  them  an 
awful  licking.  The  bullet 'struck  the  left  side  of  my  lower  jaw 
and,  the  surgeons  say,  'carried  away  the  body  of  the  inferior 
maxilla  to  near  the  angle."  It  took  off  my  lower  lip,  tore  the 
chin  so  that  it  hangs  down,  took  out  all  the  lower  teeth  but  two, 
and  cut  my  tongue.  It  is  a  horrible  looking  wound  and  will 
disfigure  me,  but  the  doctors  say  they  can  fix  up  a  face  for 
me.  It  will  be  slow  healing.  A  few  minutes  before  I  received 
this  wound  I  was  hit  in  the  back  of  the  head.  It  did  not  hurt 
much  and  is  not  at  all  serious,  although  it  is  not  yet  healed. 

Our  regiment  has  done  splendid  fighting  this  campaign,  and 
has  made  a  reputation  second  to  no  regiment  in  the  i5th  army 
corps." 

A  wounded  soldier's  journey  home.  Written  by  my  brother 
in  1864. 

"I  was  shot  late  in  the  afternoon  of  May  twenty-eighth,  and 
remained  in  the  field  hospitals,  at  and  near  Dallas,  Georgia,  until 
the  night  of  May  thirtieth.*  About  ten  o'clock  at  night  of  the 
thirtieth  a  wagon  train  was  sent  under  strong  escort  to  the  rail 
road  at  Kingston,  about  thirty  miles  distant.  All  of  the  wounded 
who  were  able  to  travel  in  the  wagons  were  permitted  t©  go. 
The  surgeons  advised  me  to  go  in  this  train.  They  said  that  if 
I  remained  around  the  hospital  the  chances  were  that  I  would 
contract  gangrene  or  erysipelas  and  die,  and  that  I  should  get 
home  as  quickly  as  possible.  My  old  friend  Haydn  K.  Smith, 
correspondent  of  the  Chicago  Journal,  volunteered  to  go  to  Nash 
ville  with  me.  I  could  hardly  have  got  along  without  him.  He 

*Every  attention  possible  was  paid  me  by  the  surgeons,  Dr.  H.  W. 
Nichols,  who  had  especial  charge  of  me,  and  Dr.  C.  P.  Brent,  Surgeon  in 
Chief  of  the  division,  as  well  as  our  own  surgeons,  Dr.  W.  M.  Cake  (then 
medical  director  of  the  fourth  division),  and  Dr.  John  A.  Lair  (who  had 
charge  of  the  regiment),  who  came  to  see  me  whenever  they  could.  Colo 
nel  Jones  sent  me  twice  each  day  a  bulletin  from  the  regiment,  which  was 
still  in  the  trenches  from  which  we  had  repulsed  the  assault  on  the  28th. 


MAJOR    y.lU)   OHIO  VOLS. 
I5KEVKT  LIEl'T.  COLONEL  U.   s.  Yol.s. 


287 

had  been  with  the  army  enough  to  know  what  to  do  and  to 
whom  to  apply  in  an  emergency.  My  colored  servant,  Wesley 
Benson,  accompanied  me.  He  was  a  faithful  and  competent 
young  man  but  he  could  not  read  writing  and  I  could  not  talk.* 

The  wagon  train  unwound  itself  at  midnight.  I  got  into  one 
of  the  wagons  and  sat  on  a  bag  of  corn.  The  different  surgeons 
bid  me  good  bye.  I  sat  on  that  bag  of  corn  all  night.  The  road  was 
very  rough,  much  of  the  way  through  dark  woods.  My  wound  was 
much  inflamed  and  my  tongue  so  swollen  that  it  was  almost  im 
possible  to  swallow.  The  misery  of  that  night's  ride  was  inde 
scribable.  Early  next  morning  Major  Patrick  Flynn,  of  the 
ninetieth  Illinois,  who  was  commanding  the  train  guard,  saw  me 
and  brought  up  the  only  ambulance  in  the  train.  It  was  loaded 
with  mail  bags,  but  Major  Flynn  threw  some  of  them  in  the 
wagon  and  put  me  in  the  ambulance  and  helped  fix  the  mail  bags 
so  that  I  could  rest  on  them.  Mr.  Smith  got  a  canteen  of  cold 
water.  I  managed  to  swallow  a  little  of  it,  but  the  effort  was  so 
painful  that  I  almost  concluded  not  to  try  again.  The  day  was 
very  hot  and  the  road  was  very  dusty.  About  noon  we  crossed 
the  Etowah  river  on  a  bridge.  Near  the  end  of  the  bridge  was  a 
house  where  there  were  some  Union  soldiers  and  some  women. 

One  of  the  women  brought  out  a  great  yellow  bowl  filled  with 
buttermilk  and  handed  it  to  me.  I  was  weak  with  hunger,  faint 
from  loss  of  blood  and  burning  with  thirst.  I  crammed  the  bowl 
into  my  mouth  with  both  hands,  despite  the  awful  pain,  and 
drank  nearly  the  whole  of  the  buttermilk.  It  revived  me  at  once. 
It  satisfied  both  hunger  and  thirst,  and  settled  the  question  of 
supplies.  I  could  walk  and  I  could  eat,  and  felt  that  my  worst 
troubles  were  over. 

The  train  reached  Kingston  between  five  and  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening.  There  seemed  to  be  no  adequate  preparation  for  the 
wounded.  But  the  agents  of  the  Sanitary  Commission  were 
there.  They  took  possession  of  a  large  house  with  a  shaded 
yard  and  went  to  work  to  prepare  food.  Mrs.  Bickerdyke  and 
Mrs.  Johnson  were  in  charge.  I  camped  in  a  corner  of  the  porch, 

*For  a  long  time  Major  Dawes  could  not  speak  a  word.  His  full  powers 
of  speech  were  ultimately  restored  by  one  of  the  most  extensive  and  skill 
ful  surgical  operations  of  this  kind  performed  during  the  war. 


surrounding  the  house,  where  there  was  a  projecting  room.  I 
could  not  lie  down,  for  breathing  was  then  impossible.  I  could 
not  rest  the  back  of  my  head  against  anything,  for  the  \vound 
there  was  very  painful,  and  I  was  obliged  to  sit  up  in  some  place 
where  I  could  rest  the  side  of  my  head.  This  corner  filled  every 
requirement.  One  of  the  women  brought  me  a  bowl  of  soup. 
I  took  off  my  bandage  to  drink  it.  She  looked  at  me,  burst  into 
tears,  and  ran  away.  An  old  gray  haired  surgeon  came  in  to 
dress  the  wound.  At  sight  of  it  he  turned  very  white  and  went 
away.  Mr.  Smith  had  gone  to  ascertain  about  the  railroad  trains, 
and  Wesley  was  hunting  a  newspaper,  so  I  went  out  myself  to 
find  a  surgeon.  Fortunately  my  good  Iriend,  Dr.  Kdwards  of 
the  fortieth  Illinois,  who  had  been  attached  to  our  regiment  in 
the  Hast  Tennessee  campaign  and  messed  with  me,  met  me  in  the 
yard.  He  spent  an  hour  dressing  my  wound  and  gave  Wesley 
full  and  careful  instruction  how  to  care  for  it ;  that  night  I 
slept  well.  Next  day,  June  ist,  about  noon,  a  train  of  empty 
freight  cars  backed  down  in  front  of  the  house.  Mr.  Smith  came 
in  with  the  news,  that  all  the  wounded  who  were  able  to  walk, 
were  to  go  to  Chattanooga  on  that  train.  I  got  into  a  car  with 
a  large  number  of  others ;  so  many  that  all  had  to  sit  up.  Many 
of  them  were  badly  wounded,  but  all  were  in  high  spirits.  At 
Resaca,  as  the  train  stopped,  I  was  startled  at  the  sight  of  Wm. 
D.  Gaby,  a  soldier  of  company  "K,"  of  our  regiment.  At  the 
battle,  on  May  i3th,  he  was  shot  dead  as  we  all  supposed.  The  ball 
struck  him  in  the  forehead,  but  glanced  and  came  out  the  top  of 
his  head.  The  train  reached  Dalton  at  dusk.  I  was  very  tired, 
and  getting  out  of  the  car  walked  along  the  platform  to  a  car 
where  there  was  more  room.  It  was  occupied  by  a  dying  officer, 
with  a  surgeon  and  a  detail  of  men  sent  to  care  for  him,  and 
endeavor  to  get  him  far  enough  North  to  meet  his  father  and 
mother  who  were  hurrying  down  in  answer  to  a  telegraphic 
summons.  The  officer  was  Lieutenant  George  B.  Covington, 
Adjutant  of  the  seventeenth  Indiana  regiment.  He  died  before 
the  train  left  Dalton.  The  surgeon  seeing  that  I  was  badly 
wounded  and  very  weak,  gave  me  some  stimulant  and  put  me  on 
Covington's  cot,  raising  the  head  so  I  could  rest.  I  went  to  sleep, 
but  at  Ringgold,  woke  with  a  start  to  find  my  bandages  drenched 


289 

with  blood  from  some  small  arteries  under  the  tongue,  which  had 
sloughed  away.  I  stopped  it  by  cramming  a  towel  under  my 
tongue.  This  weakened  me  very  much  and  made  me  afraid  to 
sleep  again.  About  midnight  the  train  reached  Chattanooga. 
There  was  no  one  at  the  depot  to  tell  us  where  to  go.  I  saw  the 
row  of  hospitals  on  the  hill  near  by  and  started  toward  them. 
A  guard  cried  :  "Halt !"  "Halt !  "  but  I  did  not  care  whether  he 
shot  me  or  not,  and  pushing  past  him,  opened  the  door  of  the 
nearest  building,  which  was  the  officers'  ward.  The  nurse  on 
duty  was  a  wounded  soldier.  He  knew  exactly  what  to  do, 
dressed  my  wound  carefully,  fixed  a  cot  so  that  I  could  rest  com 
fortably,  and  I  slept  until  the  surgeon  came  around  in  the  morning. 
Mr.  Smith  after  some  trouble,  secured  a  pass  for  me  to  Nashville. 
The  nurse  fixed  up  a  large  roll  of  bandages  and  a  bottle  of  beef 
tea  and  gave  them  to  Wesley  for  me.  The  train  left  at  three  P. 
M.,  June  2nd.  It  consisted  of  a  number  of  empty  freight  cars 
with  a  single  second  class  passenger  car  attached.  The  car  was 
pretty  well  filled.  I  sat  on  the  rear  seat,  (the  seats  were  plain 
boards)  with  my  back  to  the  other  passengers,  as  I  was  obliged 
to  change  my  bandages  frequently.  The  train  went  via  Steven 
son,  Huntsville  and  Decatur,  and  did  not  reach  Nashville  until 
late  in  the  afternoon  of  June  3rd.  This  railroad  ride  was  the 
most  trying  experience  of  all.  My  wound  \vas  sloughing  freely, 
my  tongue  was  very  much  swollen  and  it  was  almost  black.  I 
suffered  a  great  deal  of  pain,  and  to  swallow  was  exquisite  torture. 
At  Nashville  I  was  taken  to  the  officers'  hospital.  Under  the 
efficient  care  of  Dr.  J.  H.  Green,*  the  surgeon  in  charge,  I  im 
proved  rapidly*  and  having  obtained  a  leave  of  absence,  was  able 
to  leave  for  home  June  6th." 

•'""OFFICERS'  HOSPITAL,  NASEIVILLTC,  TENNESSEE,  JUNE  6th,  1864. 

Major  Dawes,  fifty-third  regiment,  O.  V.  L,  was  admitted  to  this  hospital 
June  3rd,  on  account  of  gunshot  wound  received  at  Dallas,  Georgia,  May 
28th.  The  body  of  inferior  maxilla  is  entirely  carried  away  to  near  the 
angle.  He  informs  me  thai  some  loose  fragments  of  bone  were  taken  away 
since  he  received  the  wound,  and  that  he  has  had  secondary  hemorrhages 
several  times  since  sloughing  commenced. 

The  wound  %was  sloughing  freely  when  admitted  and  very  offensive,  but 
by  the  use  of  solution  of  chloriated  soda  two  days,  the  slough  has  all  disap 
peared,  and  the  wound  is  now  granulating.  Have  dressed  it  four  times  a 
day,  syringing  it  out  freely  with  cold  water.  Swelling  and  discoloration  of 
tongue  is  abating  slowly.  Have  not  attempted  to  remove  any  of  the 
spicula,  on  account  of  tendency  to  hemorrhages  while  sloughing. 

J.  H.  GREEN." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  Change  of  Base— To  the  James  River— Petersburg— Repulsed— 
Worn,  Weary  and  Discouraged — The  Trenches — Disorganiza 
tion,  from  Losses —  Colonel  Bragg  Promoted — Out  of  the 
Trenches — Rising  Spirits — Adjutant  Brooks'  Expedition  and 
its  Fate— Captain  Kellogg  in  Rebel  Prison— Mis  Escape— Cap 
tain  Lewis  A.  Kent — Lieutenant  Earl  M.  Rogers  Wounded — 
Mortar  Shell— Ice— Our  Chaplain  Finds  a  Cow — .Appointed  to 
a  Responsible  Duty — Cowards  and  Inefficients — Cuyler  Bab- 
coclf — Commissioned  Colonel — The  Muster  Out — Questions  as 
to  Term  of  Service — Dr.  flail  Promoted — Mine  Explosion — 
In  Camp — Mustered  Out  and  Honorably  Discharged — Th&  Ord 
nance  Sergeant. 

(To  my  wife.)  WILCOX'S  LANDING,  JAMES  RIVER,  ) 

JUNE  i5th,  1864.     } 

"Another  change  of  base  to  the  James  river.  It  is  very  refresh 
ing  to  get  to  the  beautiful  slopes  on  this  broad  river.  We  left 
our  camp  on  the  Chickahominy  Sunday  evening.  We  were  in 
line  of  battle  all  day.  Monday  night  we  marched  to  St.  Mary's 
church,  and  yesterday  we  came  here.  Our  army  is  crossing  the 
river  on  steamers  and  on  a  pontoon  at  Fort  Powhatan.  General 
Grant  does  not  hesitate  to  uncover  Washington.  We  hear  dis 
tant  cannonading  in  the  direction  of  Richmond.  I  think  it 
probable  the  enemy  are  pushing  down  this  way  to  see  what  we 
are  doing." 

(To  my  wife.)  SOUTH  BANK,  JAMES  RIVER,  ) 

JULY  1 6th,  12  M.      j 

"We  have  a  rumor  that  General  Hancock  has  taken  Peters 
burg.  If  he  has  not  it  will  cost  us  a  bloody  battle.  Dust,  dust, 
dust  is  our  special  inconvenience  just  now.  Here  comes  our 
corps  general  and  staff,  and  we  must  'fall  in'  to  march." 

PETERSBURG. 
(To  my  wife.)  LINE  OF  BATTLE  BEFORE  PETERSBURG, 

JUNE  igth,  1864,  7  A.  M. 

"Yesterday   afternoon   in   another  hopeless  assault  there  was 

enacted  a  horrid  massacre  of  our  corps.     Our  brigade   charged 


291 

half  a  mile  over  an  open  field,  under  the  musketry  fire  of  the 
enemy.  We  had  five  men  killed  and  thirty-five  wounded.  (The 
actual  loss  was  greater  than  here  reported.)  We  are  now  lying 
in  rifle  pits  from  which  it  is  almost  certain  death  to  raise  our 
heads.  Our  corps  must  have  lost  very  heavily  yesterday.  It  is 
awfully  disheartening  to  be  ordered  upon  such  hopeless  assaults. 
My  regiment  was  selected  with  others  to  make  a  night  attack  on 
the  enemy's  entrenchments,  and  we  formed  in  line  to  do  so,  but 
the  order  was  countermanded." 

General  Cutler  says  in  his  official  report:  "In  this  affair  I  lost  in 
killed  and  wounded  about  one  third  of  the  men  I  had  with  me, 
and  among  them  many  valuable  officers."  He  says  also  that 
none  of  his  troops  got  nearer  than  "seventy-five  yards  of  the 
enemy's  works." 

(To  my  wife.)  LINK  OF  BATTLE  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  \ 

JUNE  2ist,  1864.      j 

"I  am  sitting  in  a  hole  four  feet  deep,  eight  feet  long  and  three 
feet  wide,  shaded  by  green  boughs  and  quite  cool  and  pleasant 
for  a  hot  day.  This  is  my  regimental  headquarters.  Sergeant 
Major  Cuyler  Babcock,  who  is  Acting  Adjutant,  sits  at  the  other 
end  of  the  hole,  and  we  are  company  for  each  other.  To  raise  a 
head  in  daylight  above  the  surface  of  trie  ground  is  almost  certain 
death,  for  it  will  draw  the  fire  •  of  a  dozen  sharpshooters.  Bab- 
cock  knows  nothing  about  Latin,  but  I  taught  him  to-day  about 
twenty  lines  of  Cicero's  first  oration  against  Catiline,  and  so  we 
pass  our  time.  Few  of  our  men  are  hurt  and  none  need  be. 
Sometimes  a  foolish  fellow  will  imagine  he  wants  a  drink  of 
water  badly  enough  to  risk  his  life  to  get  it,  and  he  generally 
loses  his  life  trying  to  run  for  it.  We  have  lost  forty-five  men 
before  Petersburg,  six  killed.  The  suicidal  manner  in  which  we 
are  sent  against  the  enemy's  entrenchments  is  discouraging.  Our 
brigade  was  simply  food  for  powder  in  the  assault  day  before 
yesterday." 

(To  my  wife.)  LINE  OF  BATTLE  BEFORE  PETERSBURG.  ) 

JUNE  2ist,  1864.     j 

"We  are  completely  holed,  and  ground-hogging  for  a  steady 
living  becomes  very  tedious.  Colonel  Bragg  has  notice  of  his 
nomination  as  a  Brigadier  General." 


292 

On  this  day  (June  twenty-first),  was  shot  and  mortally  wounded 
Levi  Pearson,  of  Company  "A."  He  was  the  last  one  of  three 
brothers  who  had  served  in  that  company.  William  Pearson  was 
killed  in  the  charge  upon  the  railroad  cut  at  Gettysburg  and 
Jesse  Pearson  lost  his  life  in  the  bloody  and  fruitless  charge  upon 
the  entrenchments  of  the  enemy  at  Petersburg  on  June  i8th, 
three  days  before  his  brother  Levi  fell. 

(To  my  wife.)  LINE  OF  BATTLE  BEFORE  PETERSBURG, 

JUNE  22nd,  8  A.  M. 

"Still  skulking  in  our  holes,  and  dirty,  dusty  places*  they  are, 
but  the  Johnnies  leave  us  no  alternative.  William  brings  niy 
breakfast  and  enough  for  a  cold  dinner  up  to  the  works  before 
daylight,  and  supper  after  dark.  We  can  see  the  spires  of  Peters 
burg  about  two  miles  away  to  the  northwest.  There  seems  to  be 
a  severe  musketry  fight  going  on  this  evening  to  our  left  and 
troops  have  been  moving  that  way  all  day  and  yesterday." 
(To  my  wife,)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  JUNE  23rd,  7  P.  M. 

''I  have  lain  all  day  in  this  dirty  hole  and  am  too  stupid  for 
any  use.  The  Calcutta  black  hole  was  not  more  disagreeable  and 
the  constant  shower  of  rebel  bullets  are  the  chains  that  keep  us 
imprisoned.  Things  look  rather  blue,  I  must  confess,  about 
Petersburg." 

(To  my  wife.)  LINE  OF  BATTLE  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  ) 

JUNE  25th,  1864.     } 

"Imagine  a  hole  three  feet  wide  and  four  feet  deep  in  the 
middle  of  the  street,  and  a  sun  perfectly  sweltering  in  its  rays 
and  you  have  our  quarters,  from  which  we  can  not  raise  our 
heads." 

The  seven  days  in  the  Petersburg  hole  closed  on  this  evening. 
#We  had  a  passage  way  out  to  the  line  of  the  regiment.  Cuyler 
Babcock,  my  companion,  was  a  most  worthy  young  man.  He 
had  performed  the  duties  of  Adjutant  since  the  battles  on  the 
North  Anna  and  he  continued  to  do  so  until  killed  in  the  battle 
ol  the  Weldon  Road,  August  i8th,  1864.  The  work  of  preparing 
descriptive  lists  for  our  great  number  of  wounded  men  in  hospitals 
and  of  getting  straightened  out  in  our  various  returns  and 
accounts  was  very  difficult.  The  loss  of  company  officers  and  of 
papers  added  to  the  general  confusion.  Babcock  was  an  expert 


293 

and  he  helped  everybody  with  an  impartial  generosity  and  with 

untiring  industry. 

(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  JUNE  26th,  1864. 

"We  hav.e  been  drawn  back  from  the  rifle-pits,  comparatively 
out  of  range  of  the  enemy's  bullets,  and  we  are  in  the  woods. 
The  weather  is  intensely  hot,  and  very  trying  upon  our  poor 
men  in  tiie  entrenchments.  It  is  now  Brigadier  General  Bragg. 

The  long  continued  fighting  has  put  us  very  much  behind  in 
our  business.  Many  of  our  poor  wounded  men  are  waiting  and 

This  poetical  and  striking  description  of  the  works  at  Peters 
burg  was  published  August  i4th,  1864,  by  a  member  of  the  i88th 
Pennsylvania  regiment,  then  in  the  trenches: 

"OUR   HOUSE   IN    THE    FRONT." 

You  have  never  seen  our  house  in  the  "front," 

Our  house  that  i^  built  for  the  battle's  brunt; 

I  tell  you,  then,  'tis  a  wonderful  home, 

With  its  earthen  floor  and  its  starry  dome. 

No  mortal  structure  can  reach  so  high. 

For  the  dome  itself  is  the  vaulted  sky. 

The  walls  of  the  loamy  earth  are  made,  v 

"With  trunks  of  the  forest  oaks  inlaid. 

It  boasts  of  a  narrow  and  lengthy  hall, 

Where  our  belted  knights  are  seated  all,  * 

Keeping  their  vigils  by  night  and  day, 

Ready  to  join  in  the  deadly  fray. 

Our  carpet  and  couch  are  the  earthy  ground, 

Our  chairs  are  woodblocks  scattered  around. 

"Hard  tack"  boxes  our  tables  make, 

Where  daily  our  scanty  meals  we  take. 

Our  pantry  is  carried  slung  over  the  back — 

A  medley  of  coffee,  pork,  and  "tack," 

All  jumbled  up  in  a  haversack. 

We  ask  no  fire  or  lamp-light  here 

Whilst  the  moon  and  stars  in  the  heavens  appear. 

No  urchin's  prattle  or  infant's  squall 

Is  ever  heard  in  our  martial  hall ; 

But  morning,  noon,  and  night  as  well 

Resounds  the  scream  of  the  villainous  shell, 

And  the  fatal  "zip"  of  the  minie  ball. 

Death  in  the  trenches,  Death  in  the  air, 

And  grim  Death  rioting  everywhere ; 

Thus  we  bear  the  battle's  brunt 

In  this,  the  hall  of  "Our  House  in  the  Front ! " 


294 


watching  in  hospitals  for  their  descriptive  lists,  so  that  they  can 
draw  their  pay.  I  am  doing  all  in  my  power  to  get  them  made 
and  sent  off.  Our  wagon  is  kept  miles  away  from  us."  (Our 
papers  were  in  this  wagon.) 

General  Cutler  says  in  his  official  report:  "The  changes  in  the 
command  have  been  so  frequent  and  the  losing  of  nearly  every 
original  brigade,  regimental,  and  company  commander  renders  it 
impossible  to  make  anything  like  an  accurate  account  as  to 
details.  *  *  *  I  can  not  close  this  report  without  saying  how 
deeply  I  felt  the  loss  of  the  many  brave  officers  and  men  who 
have  fallen  in  this  campaign." 
(To  my  wife.)  JUNK  26,  1864. 

"I  have  been  washed,  shaved  and  shampooed,  and  feel  wonder 
fully  revived.  I  have  got  some  hams,  soft  bread,  flour  and  bis 
cuit;  the  latter  luxury  comes  from  the  Christian  Commission. 
You  may  be  sure  I  am  feeling  much  better  and  more  cheerful. 
Brooks  (Adjutant  K.  P.  Brooks,)  has  been  sent  out  by  General 
Grant  on  an  expedition  to  cut  rebel  railroads.  He  has  thirty 
picked  men  of  his  own  selection  from  our  brigade,  and  they  are 
armed  with  Spencer  rifles  and  mounted.  (There  were  seven  men 
from  the  sixth  Wisconsin.)  He  aims  to  cut  the  Danville  road  at 

LOSSES  IN  THE  SIXTH  WISCONSIN. 


Killed 

Woun 
ded 

Miss 
ing 

1 

4? 

Officers 

a 

0> 

& 

Officers 

d 

% 

Officers 

fl 
3 

& 

Wilderness,  Mav  5th—  7th,  

3 
2 

5 

5 

8 

2 

1 
7 
1 

24 

1 
3 

1 
2 

7 

39 
65 

9 

6 
38 
3 

160 

1 
1 

14 
5 

1 
10 

30 

63 

83 

12 

8 
57 
4 

227 

Spottsylvania    May  8th  —  21st    

North  Anna,           1    

Tolopotomy,            >-Mav  22nd  —  June  1st,  

Bethesda  Church  J          

Cold  Harbor,  June  2nd  —  15th,  

Petersburg,  June  16th     30th  

Petersburg,  July  1st  —  31st  

Total  

Killed,  29 ;  Wounded,  167  ;  Missing,  31 ;  Total :  227.  The  regiment  en 
tered  the  campaign  with  an  aggregate  of  370  men  and  received  in  recruits 
and  returned  men,  10.  The  loss  of  227  was  from  an  aggregate  of  380. 


295 

Roanoke  station.*  I  have  received  through  Mrs.  Kellogg  a  letter 
which  she  received  from  her  husband,  Captain  Kellogg,  who  is  in 
the  confederate  prison  at  Macon,  Georgia.  Major  Plummer  is 
dead  and  I  shall  recommend  Captain  Kellogg  for  appointment  as 
Major." 

CONFEDERATE  MILITARY  PRISON,  MACON  GA., 

JUNE  6th,  1864. 

"My  dear  wife  :  -  I  have  again  an  opportunity  of  writing,  which 
I  gladly  improve.  My  health  is  as  good  as  it  ever  was,  the  cli 
mate  seems  to  agree  with  me.  My  treatment  is,  and  has  been, 
probably  as  good  as  the  Confederate  Government  can  afford. 
The  rations  are  corn  meal,  bacon,  beans  and  rice,  just  the  same 
as  they  issue  to  their  own  troops.  The  weather  is  delightful,  not 
too  hot  in  the  day  time,  while  the  nights  are  cool.  The  circum 
stances  of  my  capture  are  as  follows  :  On  the  morning  of  the 
fifth  (May,)  I  was  ordered  to  take  my  company  and  support  a 
line  of  skirmishers  who  were  ordered  to  advance  and  attack  the 
enemy.  Soon  after  the  line  was  engaged  it  became  necessary  to 
bring  up  the  reserve,  which  I  did  and  deployed  them  as  skir 
mishers  and  was  hotly  engaged.  My  loss  was  .severe,  how  many 
I  can  not  tell.  Soon  after  the  brigade  charged  the  enemy.  I 
ordered  my  [line  to  advance  as  they  were  deployed  with  the 
brigade,  which  they  did.  We  drove  the  enemy's  line  of  battle 
and  were  driven  in  turn.  I  was  captured  in  the  endeavor  to  rally 
our  troops.  Am  very  anxious  to  hear  from  the  regiment.  Please 
write  to  Dawes  and  enclose  this.  Love  to  all  friends,  and  I 
remain,  dear  wife,  J.  A.  KELLOGG. " 

This  is  a  shrewd  and  remarkable  letter.  Captain  Kellogg  in 
tentionally  mis-states  the  real  condition  of  things  in  that  horrible 
pest  hole,  Macon  Military  Prison.  His  object  was  to  make  sure 
that  his  letter,  which  was  to  be  read  by  the  officers  of  the  prison, 
would  be  sent  to  his  wife.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  his  published 
story  of  his  prison  experience  narrates  that  he  ate  a  rat  while  in 

"^Lieutenant  Brooks  had  carefully  prepared  a  plan  for  this  undertaking, 
which  met  the  approval  of  General  Grant,  to  whom  he  was  commended  by 
the  letters  he  had  received  from  General  Pope  for  his  especially  efficient 
service  for  that  General  in  his  campaign.  This  entire  party  was  captured 
by  the  enemy.  If  we  may  credit  the  Confederate  reports  they  were,  owing 
to  the  negligence  of  their  commander  to  put  out  the  proper  guards,  sur 
prised  and  captured  by  a  much  smaller  force. 


296 

this  horrible  place.  He  shows  the  solicitude  of  the  brave  soldier 
for  his  own  military  honor,  and  fully  explains  the  circumstan 
ces  of  his  capture  and  says :  "Please  send  this  letter  to  Dawes," 
his  nearest  friend  in  the  regiment.  This  brave  man  and  heroic 
leader  needed  no  vindication  wdth  any  of  his  comrades  or  his 
commanders.  Captain  Kellogg  was  afterward  sent  to  Charleston, 
S.  C.,  and  placed  with  other  officers,  under  the  fire  of  our  own 
batteries,  which  bombarded  that  city.  When  on  the  way  back 
from  Charleston  to  that  delightful  summer  resort,  the  Macon 
prison,  he  jumped  at  midnight  from  a  rapidly  running  train  of 
cars.  He  was  chased  by  blood  hounds,  and  stood  for  hours  chin 
deep  in  the  water  to  avoid  them.  In  South  Carolina,  while  gaunt 
with  hunger  and  reduced  almost  to  despair,  he  appealed  to  an 
aged  negro.  The  old  man  had  never  before  seen  a  Yankee 
soldier,  and  stood  appalled  at  the  apparition.  "Will  you  betray 
us?"  said  Kellogg.  "No  sah,"  said  the  old  man,  "There's  not  a 
slave  in  South  Carolina  would  betray  you."  The  negroes  fed  Kel- 
logg's  party,  ferried  them  across  rivers,  and  aided  and  piloted 
them  on  their  way  to  the  best  of  their  ability.  After  enduring 
incredible  privations,  he  safely  passed  through  all  perils  and  came 
into  the  Union  lines  in  Tennessee. 
(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  JUNE  28th,  1864. 

"We  are  to  go  out  to  the  entrenchments  to-night  to  relieve  the 
second  brigade,  but  as  there  is  no  firing  on  the  line  in  our  front, 
the  service  is  not  hard.  I  am  trying  to  get  my  company  business 
straightened  out,  but  the  loss  of  so  many  officers,  and  the  confu 
sion  resulting  from  so  long  an  inattention  to  returns,  makes  a 
great  deal  of  trouble.  I  fear  our  pay  rolls  will  be  defective." 

HEADQUARTERS  SIXTH  WISCONSIN  VETERAN  VOLUNTEERS,  ) 
(To  my  wife.)  JUNE  3oth,  1864.      j 

"We  are  getting  fixed  up  for  a  muster  for  pay,  and  are  pretty 
well  straightened  out,  but  accounts  and  returns  have  become 
inextricably  confused  in  this  campaign." 

The  constant  repetition  of  this  complaint  indicates  how  serious 
the  disorganization  had  become,  through  the  grievous  losses  in 
the  campaign.  The  case  of  Captain  Lewis  A.  Kent,  serves  well 
to  illustrate  these  conditions.  When  Lieutenant  James  Iy.  Con 
verse  of  company  "G,"  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness, 


297 

that  company  was  left  under  command  of  Second  Lieutenant 
John  Timmons,  who  was  also  wounded  and  disabled  in  the  battle 
of  Spottsylvania.  Lieutenant  Timmons  had  notified  me  that  he 
would  not  accept  promotion  because  it  involved  a  re-muster  for 
three  more  years  of  service,  and  he  wished  to  hold  his  legal  claim 
to  a  discharge  on  July  i5th,  the  expiration  of  the  term  of  service 
of  the  regiment.  I  accordingly  assigned  Sergeant  Kent  to  duty 
as  Captain  of  company  "G,"  on  the  loth  of  May,  1864.  I  have 
made  an  error  in  earlier  statements  of  this  case,  in  fixing  the 
date  of  this  order  as  May  7th,  which  is  not  material.  No  braver, 
more  efficient  or  more  dashing  company  commander  fought  in 
our  line.  He  carried  a  musket  and  the  flash  of  his  bayonet  was 
always  seen  leading  the  line  in  desperate  places.  On  the  i8th  of 
June  at  Petersburg  a  minie  ball  passed  through  his  left  shoulder, 
shattering  the  arm,  piercing  the  body,  breaking  two  of  his  ribs, 
lacerating  the  left  lung,  and  lodging  next  to  the  spine. 

Until  we  settled  down  at  Petersburg,  there  was  literally  no 
opportunity  to  apply  to  the  Governor  of  Wisconsin  for  a  Cap 
tain's  commission  for  Kent.  When  the  commission  came  it  was 
dated  subsequent  to  June  i8th,  the  day  he  received  his  wound. 
Although  he  received  this  terrible  wound  while  performing  most 
gallant  service*  as  a  Captain,  for  fourteen  years  he  received  only 
the  pension  of  a  Sergeant.  In  1878  his  old  commander, 
General  Bragg,  was  in  Congress  and  through  his  efforts  a  law 
was  enacted,  granting  Captain  Kent  the  pension  due  his  rank  and 
service.  There  is  a  tinge  of  romance  about  the  service  of  this 
young  officer.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  was  a  student  in 
Beloit  College,  but  his  home  was  at  Blacksburg,  Virginia,  and 
most  of  the  male  members  of  his  family  were  in  the  service  of 
the  Confederacy. 


*The  18th  of  June  was  indeed  a  dark  day  for  the  faithful  little  regiment. 
Lieutenant  Earl  M.  Rogers,  in  command  of  company  "I,"  was  shot  through 
the  body  and  wounded  almost  in  the  same  terrible  manner  as  Acting  Cap 
tain  Kent  Lieutenant  Rogers  was  again  on  duty  the  next  Octoher,  and  he 
was*  in  the  battles  of  Hatcher's  Run.  He  was  brevetted  as  a  Major.  His 
wound  did  not  close  however,  until  1866.  He  served  afterward  as  a  Lieu 
tenant  in  the  Regular  Army,  and  was  engaged  in  an  Indian  campaign. 
Lieutenant  Howard  J.  Huntington  was  also  badly  wounded  here. 


298 

(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  VA.,  j 

.      } 


2nd,  1864. 

"We  are  again  out  of  those  hot  trenches  and  back  in  the 
woods.  If  the  army  remains  here,  in  six  days  we  will  go  out 
again  for  a  tour  of  duty  in  the  trenches.  There  is  not  so  much 
shooting  now,  although  every  few  moments  a  huge  mortar  shell 
fired  by  the  rebels,  comes  straight  down  from  the  clouds  and 
bursts  with  a  terrific  explosion  in  our  lines.  The  weather  is  very 
hot,  but  I  get  ice  every  day  and  plenty  of  it.  There  is  an  ice 
house  on  our  skirmish  line.  I  have  some  boys  who  have  the 
nerve  to  go  out  and  get  the  ice  at  night,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
rebel  sharpshooters  keep  a  constant  fire  on  the  ice  house.  There 
is  one  good  thing,  corps  headquarters  can't  put  a  guard  over  it, 
and  gobble  it  away  from  us,  and  appropriate  it  to  their  own  use. 
William  wants  very  much  to  come  home  with  me." 

(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  JULY  4th,  1864. 

"General  Cutler  is  anxious  to  make  up  a  Colonel's  command  of 
eight  hundred  and  forty  men  for  me,  and  have  me  muster  in  for 
three  years,  on  my  commission  as  Colonel,  which  will  be  issued 
by  the  Governor. 

Our  chaplain  was  sick,  and  some  where  in  the  rear  of  the  army 
he  found  a  cow.  Now  that  he  has  gone  to  the  general  hospital, 
the  cow  has  reverted  to  me.  I  draw  rations  for  the  cow  as  a  mule. 
Dr.  Hall  and  I  have  plenty  of  fresh  milk  and  we  unite  in  grati 
tude  to  the  Chaplain. 
•  We  are  to  go  up  to-night  for  two  days'  duty  in  the  trenches. 

The  boys  who  go  out  of  the  service  on  the  fifteenth  of  this 
month  are  becoming  anxious.  The  Pennsylvania  Reserves  were 
in  battle  the  day  after  their  time  had  expired.  Twelve  days  is  a 
short  time,  but  much  history  can  be  made  here  within  that 
period." 

(To  my  wife.)  IN  THE  TRENCHES  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  ) 

JULY  5th,  1864.      } 

"We  have  entered  into  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  'Johnnies'  and 
men  on  both  sides  stand  up  in  fearless  confidence  in  each  other's 
good  faith.  To  the  right  of  us  Burnside's  negroes  occupy  the 
trenches.  Master  and  slave  meet  on  equal  terms  and  the  hostility 


299 

is  implacable.  They  fire  night  and  day  on  both  sides.  A  lady 
came  up  to  our  front  line  this  morning.  About  a  thousand 
rebels  got  up  on  their  works  to  stare  at  her,  and  at  least  two 
thousand  of  our  men.  The  quiet  is  very  pleasant,  and  I  hope 
that  the  continual  whizzing  of  bullets  will  not  again  be  heard." 
(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  JULY  yth,  1864,  8  P.  M. 

"We  are  back  again  in  the  woods,  where  we  are  exposed  only 
to  rebel  shell,  which  occasionally  come  howling  over.  There  is 
a  battery  of  thirty-two  pounders,  which  fires  directly  over  us,  and 
that  draws  the  enemy's  fire.  I  was  detailed  to-day  by  order  of 
General  Meade  as  President  of  the  commission  to  investigate  the 
'capacity,  qualification,  propriety  of  conduct  and  efficiency  of 
such  officers  of  the  fifth  army  corps  as  may  be  brought  before  it.' 
This  is  the  highest  honor  of  my  military  service." 

HEADQUARTERS,  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC,  ) 

JULY  6th,  1864.      J 
Special  Order,  No.  179,  Extract. 

Under  the  authority  of  the  loth  Section  of  the  Act  of  July 
22nd,  1 86 1,  a  Board  to  consist  of 

Lieut.  Col.  R.  R.  Dawes,  6th  Wisconsin  Vols. 
Major  M.  C.  Welsh,         yth  Indiana 
Captain  A.  B.  Pattison,     " 

will  meet  at  such  time  and  place  as  the  Coni'dg  General,   fifth 
corps  may  designate,  to  examine  into  the  capacity,  qualifications, 
propriety  of  conduct  and  efficiency  of  such  officers  of  Volunteers, 
serving  in  the  fifth  army  corps,  as  may  be  ordered  before  it. 
By  command  of  Major  General  Meade. 
(Signed)  S.  WILLIAMS,  Ass't  Adj't  General. 

To  have  been  appointed  by  General  Meade  as  President  of  the 
Examining  Board  of  the  fifth  army  corps  was  indeed  an  especial 
"honor  of  my  military  service."  This  was  a  position  of  the 
highest  trust  and  responsibility.  The  object  of  the  commission 
was  to  summarily  weed  out  incompetent  and  cowardly  officers. 
If  the  commission  so  recommended,  an  officer  would  be  promptly 
dismissed  from  the  service  by  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War. 
Curious  cases  were  brought  before  the  Board.  I  remem 
ber  a  case  of  a  Captain  who  had  drank  a  decoction  of  powdered 
slate  pencils  in  vinegar  to  render  himself  unfit  for  service.  Dur- 


300 

ing  this  unexampled  campaign  of  sixty  continuous  days,  the 
excitement,  exhaustion,  hard  work  and  loss  of  sleep  broke  down 
great  numbers  of  men  who  had  received  no  wounds  in  battle. 
Some  who  began  the  campaign  with  zealous  and  eager  bravery, 
ended  it  with  nervous  and  feverish  apprehension  of  danger  in  the 
ascendancy.  Brave  men  were  shielded  if  their  records  on  other 
occasions  justified  another  trial,  which  ordinarily  resulted  well, 
but  cowards  met  no  mercy.  They  wrere  dismissed  and  their 
names  published  throughout  the  land,  a  fate  more  terrible  than 
death  to  a  proud  spirited  soldier. 

There  were  among  officers  and  men  some  who  would  even  shoot 
off  a  finger  or  attempt  to  inflict  a  wound  upon  themselves  in 
other  non  vital  parts.  Ordinarily  the  "damned  spot"  caused  by 
the  powder  burn,  remained  to  tell  its  story. 

(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  JULY  8th,  1864. 

"General  Cutler's  plan  is  to  consolidate  the  second,  fifth  and 
sixth  regiments,  which  he  wishes  me  to  command  as  Colonel. 

I  have  recommended  Sergeant  Major  Cuyler  Babcock  for  ap 
pointment  as  Adjutant,  in  place  of  Brooks,  whom  I  shall  assign 
to  a  company." 

(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  JULY  loth,  1864. 

"We  are  in  the  trenches  again,  but  the  rebel  infantry  is  very 
friendly.  A  villainous  shell  occasionally  shrieks  over  our  heads, 
but  does  no  further  harm  than  to  create  a  kind  of  shivering  sensa 
tion  that  'the  Angel  of  Death  has  spread  his  wings  on  the  blast.'  " 

STATE  OF  WISCONSIN,  SECRETARY'S  OFFICE,  ) 
MADISON,  JULY  5th,  1864.      j 
COLONEL  RUFUS  R.  DAWES  : 

"Dear  Colonel : — Yours  of  the  26th  of  June  received,  and  I  take 
great  pleasure  in  informing  you  that  I  have  this  moment  put  the 
seal  on  your  commission  as  Colonel,  vice  Bragg,  promoted.  If 
you  have  time,  I  would  like  a  letter  from  you,  giving  your  idea  of 
the  situation.  Yours  truly, 

Ivucius  FAIRCHILD." 
(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  JULY  i3th,  1864. 

"We  are  busy  making  the  papers  for  the  muster  out  of  our 
men,  whose  terms  of  service  expire,  and  they  are  nearly  wild  at 


301 

the  prospect  of  seeing  once  more  their  long  separated  families 
and  their  homes.  The  men  who  go  now  were  not  on  the  veteran 
furlough,  and  few  of  them  have  seen  their  homes  for  more  than 
three  years.  Some  have  passed  through  twenty  battles  and 
nearly  all  have  marks  of  wounds  received  in  battle.  I  am  myself 
the  only  man  who  has  passed  unharmed  through  every  battle  and 
skirmish  of  the  regiment.  I  have  been  sitting  on  our  commission 
for  examination  of  officers.  We  have  to  haul  over  the  coals  the 
Captain  commanding  the ." 

The  term  of  service  of  nine  commissioned  officers  expired  on 
the  1 5th  of  Ju1y.  But  owing  to  ambiguous  and  conflicting  orders 
on  the  subject  of  mustering  commissioned  officers,  issued  by  the 
War  Department,  the  authorities  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
refused  to  discharge  officers  without  an  order  from  the  Depart 
ment.  This  involved  delay  and  action  at  Washington  upon  each 
case.  All  were  finally  mustered  out  excepting  one  Lieutenant. 
It  had  been  the  practice  to  receive  officers  into  the  service  for  the 
remaining  or  unexpired  term  of  their  regiments.  The  result  of 
an  order  forbidding  such  musters  was,  that  if  an  officer  did  not 
wish  to  pledge  himself  for  a  new  term  of  three  years,  he  refused 
to  accept  promotion.  Second  Lieutenant  John  Timmons  had 
been  offered  a  commission  as  Captain  of  his  company  "G,"  but 
he  declined  to  accept  it  for  this  reason,  and  the  appointment  was 
given  to  Sergeant  Lewis  A.  Kent.  Pending  the  granting  of 
his  discharge  by  the  War  Department,  Lieutenant  Timmons  was 
"mustered  out  forever  by  a  minie  bullet"  in  the  battle  of  the 
Weldon  Road. 
(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  JULY  lyth,  1864. 

"There  is  a  prevailing  impression  that  siege  operations  have  so 
far  progressed  as  to  bring  another  attempt  upon  the  enemy's 
works  when  the  mine  is  exploded.  (It  appears  from  this  letter 
that  we  knew  about  the  work  upon  the  mine,  which  was  not 
exploded  until  the  3oth  of  July.)  There  is  now  no  mortar  or 
artillery  firing  along  the  line.  Before  to-day  the  enemy  would 
throw  a  mortar  shell  into  our  lines  at  intervals  of  about  fifteen 
minutes." 
(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  VA.,  JULY  22nd,  1864. 

"We  are  in  the  trenches  to-day,  and  about  once  an  hour  a 


302 

mortar  shell  is  thrown  by  the  enemy.  When  we  hear  the  chug 
of  the  mortar  firing,  we  all  run  into  the  bomb  proofs  and  we 
have  time  to  do  so,  but  we  have  to  be  quick  about  it.  Dr.  A.  W. 
Preston  has  been  discharged  for  disability  and  I  have  taken  great 
pleasure  in  recommending  Dr.  Hall  for  promotion. 

I  strolled  along  our  line  of  entrenchments  to-day.  It  would 
seem  that  our  army  is  impregnably  entrenched.  I  have  been  ap 
pointed  President  of  our  division  court  martial,  and  as  I  am 
President  of  the  fifth  corps  examining  commission,  my  hands 
are  full.  There  is  an  immense  amount  of  digging  in  this  siege 
of  Petersburg." 

MINE  EXPLOSION. 

(To  my  wife.)  BEFORE  PETERSBURG,  JULY  3oth,  1864. 

"Shortly  after  daylight  the  mine  was  exploded  and  at  that  signal 
every  cannon  and  mortar  on  the  line  opened  on  the  enemy. 
There  was  for  some  reason  a  long  delay  in  setting  off  the  mine. 
I  was  lying  in  a  bomb  proof  taking  a  nap,  when  I  felt  a  jar  like 
an  earthquake.  I  jumped  out  in  time  to  see  probably  the  most 
terrific  explosion  ever  known  in  this  country.  A  fort  and  several 
hundred  feet  of  earthworks  were  literally  hurled  into  the  air. 
It  is  hardly  possible  that  any  man  lived  who  was  in  the  line. 

Our  men  gained  the  enemy's  works  and  took  their  line,  and 
the  position  held  would  have  broken  the  rebel  army.  But  victory 
stands  with  the  enemy,  who  drove  our  men  out  and  regained  all 
they  had  lost.  I  stood  on  the  top  of  our  log  house  and  saw  the 
rebels  charge  upon  our  men.  (General  Mahone  commanded  this 
force.)  We  had  three  men  wounded  on  the  skirmish  line.  The 
pile  of  dead  around  the  ruins  of  the  fort  is  very  large." 

(To  my  wife)  NEAR  PETERSBURG,  AUGUST  ist,  1864. 

"We  are  to-day  about  four  miles  from  the  enemy  and  upon  the 
extreme  left  of  the  army.  It  seems  comfortable  to  get  almost 
out  of  hearing  of  the  shooting.  I  have  put  the  regiment  mto 
camp  and  I  have  fixed  up  a  fine  and  shady  bower  for  my  head 
quarters.  Day  before  yesterday's  failure  will  likely  make  summer 
bowers  fashionable  for  this  army.  We  hear  that  the  paymaster 
is  coming  with  four  months  pay.  lieutenant  John  Timmons  of 
company  'G'  expected  to  be  mustered  out  on  July  i5th,  and  sup- 


.  iJOZSHV  C. 

SURGEON  SIXTH  wis.  voi. 


303 

posing   of  course   that  he   would  be,  as  was  his  legal  right,   I 
recommended  the  Governor  to  appoint  Sergeant  Lewis  A.  Kent 
Captain  over  Timmons,  and  now  poor  'Tim,'  in  addition  to  being 
conscripted,  is  jumped." 
(To  my  wife.)  NEAR  PETERSBURG,  AUGUST  5th,  1864. 

"The  weather  is  very  hot  and  things  go  on  with  the  usual  stale 
monotony  of  a  summer  life  in  camp.  Occasionally  we  hear  a 
burst  of  cannon  arid  mortars  in  the  distance,  but  we  are  out  of 
the  way  of  them.  We  have  orders  to  get  under  arms  at  daylight 
every  morning. 

We  live  very  well.  I  still  have  the  cow ;  she  gives  all  the 
milk  Dr.  Hall  and  I  can  drink  or  use,  and  we  are  very  popular 
with  our  friends.  We  have  plenty  of  vegetables.  Dr.  Hall  has 
received  his  commission  as  Surgeon.  The  other  officers  now  with 
the  regiment  whose  terms  of  service  have  expired  are  Lieutenants 
John  Timmons,  H.  B.  Merchant,  and  William  Golterman.  The 
five  officers  absent  from  the  regiment,  whose  terms  have  expired, 
have  been  mustered  out  and  honorably  discharged." 

HEADQUARTERS  FOURTH  DIVISION,  FIFTH  ARMY  CORPS,  | 

AUGUST  9th,  1864.      j 

Lieutenant   Colonel  Rufus  R.  Dawes,   Commanding  Sixth    Wis 
consin  Veteran  Volunteers  : 

*"Coi,ONEL : — I  have  just  received  a  communication  from  the 
War  Department  authorizing  me  to  muster  out  yourself  and 
Second  Lieutenant  William  Golterman  of  your  regiment. 

Very  respectfully 

R.  MONTEITH, 

Capt.  and  A.  C.  M.,  4th  Div.,  5th  A.  C." 
"Lieutenant   Colonel   R.    R.    Dawes,  of  the  sixth  Wisconsin 

*From  the  Official  Army  Register  of  the  Volunteer  Force  of  the  United 
States  Army,  1861—1865,  I  take  the  following : 

"Mustered  out  on  expiration  of  term  of  service:  Lieutenant  Colonel 
Rufus  R.  Dawes,  August  10th,  1864,  (Brevet  Brigadier  General,  March  13th, 
1865.)  Captain  Thomas  W.  Plummer,  July  25th,  1864.  Captain  Charles  H. 
Ford,  July  29th,  1864.  Captain  William  N.  Remington,  October  llth,  1864. 
First  Lieutenant  Lloyd  G.  Harris,  July  23rd,  1864.  First  Lieutenant  John 
Beely,  July  25th,  1864.  First  Lieutenant  William  S.  Campbell,  October 
llth,.  1864.  First  Lieutenant  Earl  M.  Rogers,  March  10th,  1865,  (Brevet 
Major,  March  13th,  1865.)  Second  Lieutenant  Howard  J.  Huntington,  July 
23rd,  1864.  Second  Lieutenant  William  Golterman,  August  10th,  1864. 
Second  Lieutenant  Hiram  B.  Merchant,  September  6th,  1864. 


304 

veteran  volunteers,  whose  term  of  service  has  expired,  left  for 
the  north  two  days  since.  The  Colonel  enlisted  as  a  private,  and 
was  at  once  promoted  Captain  of  the  company.  In  1862  he  was 
made  Major  of  the  regiment,  and  in  1863  Lieutenant  Colonel. 
When  Colonel  Bragg  was  promoted  to  brigadier  general,  Colonel 
Dawes  received  a  colonel's  commission,  but  in  consequence  of  the 
regiment  being  badly  cut  up,  he  could  not  be  mustered.  Having 
been  in  all  the  fights  of  this  army  since  it  left  the  Peninsula  in 
1862,  his  record  is  one  of  which  any  officer  might  well  feel  proud. 

During  the  late  engagement  I  saw  one  of  our  men  being 
brought  from  the  field  with  a  fractured  thigh.  By  his  side  on  the 
stretcher  was  his  musket  and  equipments.  When  asked  why  he 
attempted  to  save  his  gun,  and  he  so  badly  wounded,  his  answer 
was :  'Captain  is  a  bully  little  fellow,  and  the  Ordnance  De 
partment  isn't  going  to  stop  his  pay  on  account  of  carelessness 
on  my  part.' " 

The  above  is  from  the  "Sunday  Morning  Chronicle,"  of  Wash 
ington.  "Cron-i-kill!"  the  news  boys  shouted  as  they  sold  the 
papers  in  the  army.  The  writer,  as  might  be  suspected  from  the 
story  about  the  wounded  soldier,  was  our  Ordnance  Sergeant, 
Jerome  A.  Watrous.  His  was  the  intricate  and  difficult  task  of 
keeping  track  of  our  muskets,  bayonets,  shoulder  belts,  waist 
belts  and  their  plates,  cap  boxes,  primers  and  cartridges.  He 
wore  red  chevrons  and  in  that  day  they  well  accorded  with 
the  ruddy  glow  of  his  fresh  and  boyish  cheeks.  But  he  had 
enlisted  in  1861,  served  through  all  and  re-enlisted  as  a  veteran. 
There  was  yet  time  to  show  his  qualities  in  a  wider  field  of  action. 
He  became  Adjutant  of  the  regiment  and  served  as  Adjutant 
General  of  Colonel  John  A.  Kellogg's  brigade  of  three  thousand 
five  hundred  men  in  the  great  campaign  that  ended  with  Appo- 
mattox.  He  was  brevetted  Captain  for  his  efficient  and  gallant 
service. 


XV. 

From  the  Stand-point  of  a  Civilian— The  Battle  on  the  Weldon 
Road— "Poor  Murdered  Timmons!  "—Letter  Prom  Captain  Rem 
ington—Captain  Chas.  P.  Hyatt  Killed— Dr.  flail  Writes  Fully 
from  the  Sixth— General  Bragg,, Writes  of  our  Comrades -Fallen 
— My  Brother  Under  the  Surgeon's  Knife— The  Sixth  Re-organ 
ized— Colonel  John  A.  Kellogg  — Individual  Records— The 
Cheering  in  the  Wilderness  Explained  by  a  "Johnny"— The 
Story  of  'William  Jackson — Captain  Marston  Shot  at  Gettysburg 
— Seventeen  Years  Later — To  my  Living  Comrades — Statistics 
From  Colonel  Fox  and  the  Official  Records. 

I  had  returned  to  Washington  to  make  my  finaksettlement  and 
close  my  business  account  as  a  regimental  commander  when  I 
wrote  this  letter: 

(To  my  wife.)         WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  THURSDAY  EVENING,  ) 

SEPTEMBER  ist,  1864.     j 

"I  am  safely  here  to-night,  somewhat  tired  from  the  journey. 
I  am  fairly  heart-sick  at  the  stories  of  blood  I  hear  from  the  old 
regiment.  Captain  Hutchins  was  killed.  Full  of  the  satisfac 
tion  of  his  new  commission,  he  met  death  in  his  first  battle. 
But  the  saddest  of  all,  Timmons  was  killed.  Poor,  murdered 
Timmons  !  His  legal  right  to  be  discharged  was  as  clear  as  mine 
and  just  the  same.  It  seems  almost  certain  to  me  that  I  could 
never  have  lived  through  another  such  carnival  of  blood. 
Only  eighty  men  are  left  in  the  ranks  for  service." 

THIRD  DIVISION  HOSPITAL,  SEPTEMBER  4th,  1864. 

"DEAR  COLONEL:-!  received  your  kind  letter  some  time 
since,  and  I  should  have  answered  it  before  only  that  I  have  been 
very  sick  since  you  left  us.  I  know  that  you  will  be  surprised 
to  think  of  my  being  in  a  hospital,  but  it  is  so,  and  just  at  a  time 
of  .all  others  that  I  wanted  to  be  with  the  Sixth.  Captain 
(Thomas)  Kerr  (the  senior  captain,)  was  sick  at  the  time  of  the 
battle,  (battle  of  the  Weldon  Road,  August  i8th,  igth  and  2ist,) 
and  if  I  could  have  been  there  I  would  have  been  in  command  of 
the  regiment  in  one  of  its  hardest  battles.  The  regiment  never 


306 

did  better  than  under  Captain  (Charles  P.)  Hyatt.  I  came  on  to 
the  field  just  as  Hyatt  lost  his  leg,  and  commanded  the  regiment 
in  the  rest  of  the  fight  and  until  I  came  back  to  hospital  again. 
(It  will  be  noted  that  Captain  Remington  got  up  off  of  a  sick 
bed  in  the  hospital  to  go  to  the  regiment  when  he  learned  that  it 
was  in  battle.)  Poor  Timmons  is  dead  and  out  of  the  service. 
His  application  for  discharge  came  back  the  other  day  asking  if 
he  had  taken  the  'veteran  furlough  ?'  General  Bragg  returned  it 
with  the  endorsement :  'This  officer  has  taken  his  long  furlough. 
He  was  killed  in  the  battle.' 

The  old  division  is  broken  up,  and  our  brigade  is  in  Crawford's 
division,  the  third  brigade.  The  second  brigade  was  sent  to  the 
first  division.  An  effort  is  being  made  to  have  all  of  the  troops 
of  the  old  first  army%  corps  put  into  one  division.  From  what 
I  hear  I  think -it  will  be  done,  but  I  do  not  know  who  will  com 
mand  it.  I  have  a  prospect  of  going  home  Monday  morning  on 
sick  leave.  I  remain,  as  ever,  your  friend  and  well  wisher, 

WILLIAM  N.  REMINGTON, 
Captain  Company  'K',  Sixth  Wisconsin." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  this  brave  man  and  splendid  soldier 
was  shot  in  one  shoulder  at  Gettysburg,  while  rushing  for  the 
rebel  flag  and  he  was  shot  in  the  other  shoulder  on  the  loth  of 
May  at  Laurel  Hill.  So  late  as  1882  he  had  not  received  a  pen 
sion,  nor  asked  for  one  until  1879.  He  then  apologized  for 
asking  a  pension  on  the  ground  that  his  "boys  were  all  girls." 
I  was  a  member  of  the  47th  Congress  from  Ohio.  The  one-legged 
veteran,  Captain  E.  M.  Truell,  of  Wisconsin,  asked  me  one  day,  as 
I  had  been  a  Wisconsin  soldier,  if  I  knew  Captain  Bill  Rem 
ington  of  the  Sixth.  Of  course  I  did,  and  he  then  told  me  that 
Remington  needed  only  the  affidavit  of  his  regimental  com 
mander  to  complete  his  claim.  Captain  Remington  was  in 
Northern  Dakota,  and  he  had  lost  track  of  his  regimental 
commander  in  Ohio.  Truell  and  I  made  quick  time  for  the 


LOSSES  AT  WELDON  ROAD,  AUGUST  18th  to  21st. 
Officers  :  killed,    2  ;  wounded,    3  ;  missing,    0  ;  aggregate  5 
Men  7;  23;  10;          "      40 

Total,  45 


307 

pension  office,  and  it  did  not  take  me  long  to  "call  up  that  case" 
and  swear  it  through.  I  soon  received  a  letter  from  "  Captain 
Bill"  and  he  said:  "If  an  Angel  from  Heaven  had  appeared  to 
help  me,  I  could  not  have  been  more  surprised."  Poor  fellow  ! 

He  did  not  live  long  to  enjoy  the  benefits. 

• 
General  Bragg  has  written  :   "You  name  Charley  Hyatt.      Cap 

tain  Charles  P.  Hyatt  was  a  gentleman  and  a  soldier,  with  a 
manner  as  gentle  as  a  woman.  He  was  an  excellent  officer,  and 
I  was  especially  fond  of  him  in  command  of  a  skirmish  line. 
The  hotter  the  fire,  the  cooler  he  grew,  until,  if  I  were  telling  a 
camp  fire  story,  I  would  say  that  he  'froze  the  water  in  his  can 
teen.'  I  made  a  special  Aide-de-camp  of  him  on  my  staff,  and  in 
the  battle  on  the  Weldon  Railroad,  I  placed  him  in  command  of 
the  Sixth  in  my  front  line.  He  fought  the  regiment  splendidly. 
The  next  day  we  were  attacked  in  strong  force  in  our  works  and  the 
assaulting  party  came  so  close  that  they  could  not  get  back,  and 
they  threw  up  their  hands.  The  firing  ceased  and  I  detailed 
Captain  Hyatt  to  take  the  sword  of  the  commanding  officer.  He 
did  so,  and  while  returning,  a  stray  shot  came  flying  across,  and 
it  tore  off  Hyatt's  leg.  He  suflered  an  amputation  and  was  sent 
to  Alexandria,  from  where  he  wrote  me  a  cheerful  letter.  He 
was  moved  again  to  Philadelphia,  —  gangrene  set  in,  and  glorious 
man  that  he  was,  he  died  a  soldier's  death." 

HKADQUAETKRS  SIXTH  WISCONSIN  VETERAN  VOLUNTEERS,  | 

.     j 


ON  WEivE  DN  R.  R.  NEAR  PETERSBURG,  SEP'T.  icth,  1864. 
"  Dear  Colon  el  \  —  Your  favor  reached  me  in  due  time,  and  would 
have  been  answered  before  this  had  it  not  been  for  my  ill-health. 
I  get  quite  sick  soon  after  you  left,  and  was  obliged  to  go  to 
division  hospital  and  stay  there  some  three  weeks.  I  returned 
to  the  regiment  two  days  ago,  and  think  I  shall  be  able  to  remain 
with  it.  *  *  *  Of  course  you  have  heard  all,  and  more  than 
all  about  the  fights  here,  on  the  i8th,  iQth  and  2ist  of  August 
by  our  corps,  resulting  in  our  getting  and  holding  a  piece  of  the 
Weldon  R.  R.  The  i8th  and  2ist,  we  gave  the  'Johnnies'  an 
they  wanted,  did  a  good  thing.  On  the  iQth,  we  got  the  worst  of 
it  rather.  For  our  regiment  particularly,  it  was  a  bad  day. 
Captain  Hutchins  and  Adjutant  Cuyler  Babcock  were  killed,  and 
Lieutenant  John  Timmons^  whose  application  to  the  Secretary  of 


308 

War  to  be  mustered  out  was  still  pending,  was  mustered  out  of 
the  service  forever  by  a  minie  bullet.  This  seems  hard,  for  he 
would  have  succeeded  with  his  application.  Lieutenant  Mer 
chant  was  mustered  out  by  order  of  Secretary  Stanton  three  days 
ago,  after  risking  his  own  life  in  four  battles,  after  his  term  of 
service  had  expired.  But  the  most  unjust  and  meanest  thing  the 
Government  could  do,  it  did.  It  was  ordered  that  his  muster 
out  should  date  from  July  itf/i,  thus  robbing  him  of  six  weeks 
pay  for  perilous  service,  he  was  compelled  to  perform.  This  may 
be  just  and  right,  and  it  may  be  the  proper  way  to  increase 
the  patriotism  of  officers,  but  the  obliquity  of  my  moral  percep 
tions  is  such  that  I  cannot  see  it. 

I  congratulate  you  on  getting  out  when  you  did,  and  your  wife 
and  friends  also.  I  often  think  it  was  almost  Providential. 
These  last  battles  might  have  proved  that  you  too  are  mortal. 
And  then, — but  why  speak  of  distress  so  fortunately  perhaps 
avoided?  I  trust  you  will  have  all  manner  of  happiness  and 
success  in  business  at  home,  and  long  outlive  the  present  disas 
trous  years  of  the  Republic. 

You  desire  to  have  yours  and  General  Bragg's  reports  of  the 
last  engagements  you  were  in.  I  will  try  to  get  copies  and  for 
ward  them  to  you. 

You  remind  me  of  my  promise  to  write  the  history  of  the 
regiment  from  last  October,  and  request  me  not  to  neglect  it.  I 
have  been  in  no  condition  to  write  it  yet,  and  until  a  few  days 
ago,  it  has  been  difficult  to  get  access  to  the  books  and  papeis 
from  which  to  obtain  the  proper  data.  But  our  teams  are  with 
the  regiment  now,  and  I  have  no  excuse  to  neglect  the  matter 
longer.  I  advise  you  not  to  put  too  much  trust  in  my  executing 
this  labor  of  love  even. 

Grant  seems  to  be  giving  a  look  of  permanency  to  our  occupa 
tion  .of  this  line.  He  has  nearly  completed  a  railroad  from  City 
Point  to  the  Yellow  Tavern,  Warren's  headquarters,  and  the 
extreme  left  of  our  line  on  the  Weldon  Road.  It  was  close  by 
this  tavern  that  we  lost  in  the  three  battles  I  have  mentioned, 
three  officers  and  thirty-seven  men,  most  of  the  casualties  occur- 
ing  on  the  iQth,  and  reducing  our  regiment  to  less  than  one 
hundred  men  all  told,  for  duty.  But  this  is  aside  from  my 


present  subject.  Our  line  of  works  makes  a  loop  around  the 
tavern,  and  back  upon  itself  for  six  or  eight  miles.  This,  of 
course,  is  to  protect  our  rear  and  the  new  railroad.  A  depot  for 
storing  supplies  is  to  be  built  near  the  camp  of  our  brigade,  and 
we  shall  soon  present  a  business  and  town-like  appearance.  We 
have  our  baggage,  and  wall  tents.  The  new  Doctor  and  myself 
are  getting  domiciled  in  one  of  the  latter.  We  have  a  tolerably 
dry  camping  ground,  but  we  are  surrounded  by  marshes  of 
indefinite  extent,  and  the  malarial  poison  begins  to  tell  on  our 
men.  But  the  Sixth  is  as  good  at  fighting  fevers  as  fighting 
'Rebs,'  so  we  are  hopeful. 

Well,  Colonel,  how  does  the  war  look  to  you  from  the  stand 
point  of  civil  and  domestic  life  ?  Have  you  joined  the  grumblers 
who  severely  ask,  'Why  does  not  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  move?' 
I  think  not.  Have  the  recent  successes  south  and  west  increased 
your  confidence  in  our  final  triumph?  Perhaps]- it  was  owing  to 
my  illness,  but  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  have  been  for  the  last  two 
months,  a  good  deal  discouraged ;  have  almost  despaired  of  the 
Republic.  But  I  feel  a  little  better  about  matters  now. 

What  about  the  political  aspect?  The  presidential  question 
seems  to  be  reduced  to  a  choice  between  'Old  Abe'  and  'Little 
Mac.'  On  one  side  is  war,  and  stubborn,  patient  effort  to  restore 
the  Union,  and  National  honor;  on  the  other  side  is  inglorious 
peace  and  shame,  the  old  truckling  subserviency  to  Southern 
domination,  and  a  base  alacrity  in  embracing  some  vague,  decep 
tive  political  subterfuge,  instead  of  honorable  and  clearly  defined 
principles.  Truly  yours, 

JOHN  C.  HAU,." 

It  will  be. noticed  that  all  were  sick.  The  exhaustion,  mental, 
as  well  as  physical,  of  the  long  and  terrible  campaign  which  had 
lasted  from  May  5th  until  August  22nd,  without  cessation,  did 
much  to  aid  the  marshes  in  producing  this  result. 

General  Bragg  has  written  :  "John  Timmons,  of  company  'G', 
Second  Lieutenant,  was  another  noble  fellow.  He  was  an  Irish 
man,  quiet,  but  full  of  humor  and  brim  full  of  pluck.  When  J. 
L-  Converse  was  killed  in  the  Wilderness,  he  refused  promotion 
and  announced  his  purpose  to  muster  out  at  the  end  of  his  en- 


310 

listment.  When  we  received  orders  to  move  to  fight  the  battle 
of  the  Weldon  Railroad,  John's  time  was  out  and  he  was  waiting 
the  arrival  of  a  muster  out  officer.  I  urged  him  to  remain  in 
camp,  knowing  all  the  circumstances  of  his  intended  marriage. 
But  when  the  regiment  moved  he  went  with  us,  and  in  the  battle 
of  the  second  day  he  was  shot  and  instantly  killed. 

Little  Hutchins,  (Captain  William  Hutchins,)  originally 
fourth  Corporal  of  company  'B,'  reached  the  Captaincy  of  his 
company  and  wore  his  rank  for  the  first  time  in  that  battle  and 
was  shot  at  the  time  Timmons  fell. 

Babcock,  of  company  'C/  (Sergeant  Major,)  was  shot,  while 
lying  in  the  trenches  at  the  Weldou  Railroad,  by  a  ball  that  struck 
the  limb  of  a  tree  overhead  and  deflected,  striking  him  on  the  top 
of  the  head,  producing  instant  death.  He  had  his  commission  as 
Lieutenant  and  Adjutant  in  his  pocket,  but  went  to  the  grand 
encampment  beyond  the  river,  for  muster. 

You  must  not  think  I  am  proposing  to  write  your  book,  but  I 
send  you  these  incidents  and  sketches  for  you  to  reject  or  mould, 
as  you  choose,  into  your  narrative. 

Upon  the  principle  that  I  remember  to  have  seen  on  a  pamph 
let  of  Indian  stories  in  old  Brandt's  time  in  the  Susquehanna 

valley 

'Gather  up  the  fragments — let  nothing  be  lost, 
To  show  the  next  ages  what  liberty  cost.' 

Sincerely  your  friend, 

EDWARD  S.  BRAGG." 

Upon  his  return  from  rebel  prison,  Captain  Kellogg  found  his 
promotion  awaiting  him,  and  he  has  written  :  "I  proceeded  at 
once  to  my  home  in  Wisconsin  and  made  a  short  visit  there.  I 
went  from  thence  to  Madison  and  obtained  an  order  assigning 
enough  drafted  men  to  fill  the  regiment  to  the  maximum  and 
proceeded  with  them  to  the  regiment  in  the  field.  It  was  then 
lying  on  the  Jerusalem  plank  road,  near  City  Point.  Here  I 
found  many  changes.  The  regiment  was  commanded  by  Major 
Thomas  Kerr,  who  was  a  Lieutenant  when  I  left*  Nearly  every 
officer  on  duty  when  I  left  the  regiment  the  previous  May  was 

*An  error ;  he  was  appointed  Captain  in  1883. 


COLONEL   SIXTH   WIS.    VOLS. 
BREVET  BRKJADIKI:  -iKNKUAL, 


311 

either  promoted,  killed  or  mustered  out. 

The  following  February,  1865,  General  Bragg  having  been 
ordered  to  Washington,  with  a  portion  of  his  command,  the 
balance  was  re-organized  by  adding  to  the  sixth  and  seventh 
Wisconsin  and  the  independent  battalion  of  .the  2nd  Wisconsin, 
the  ninety-first  New  York  heavy  artillery,  commanded  by  Colonel 
Tarbell,  the  brigade  numbering  about  three  thousand  five 
hundred  men.  I  was  assigned  to  its  command  and  had  the  sat 
isfaction  of  participating  in  the  last  campaign,  and  of  witnessing 
the  final  ending  of  the  war  of  rebellion  at  Appomattox  on  the 
ninth  of  April,  1865.  Among  the  troops  who  laid  down  their 
arms  at  this  surrender  was  the  i3th  Georgia,  the  same  regiment 
that  had  captured  me  on  the  eighth  day  of  May  1864." 

On  the  nineteenth  of  October,  1864,  Major  Kellogg  was  pro 
moted  to  Lieutenant  Colonel,  and  on  December  tenth  to  Colonel 
and  Major  Kerr  was  on  the  same  date  appointed  Lieutenant 
Colonel.  The  veterans  and  recruits  of  the  second  Wisconsin 
were  consolidated  with  the  Sixth  on  November  twenty-second, 
1864,  and  Captain  Dennis  B.  Daily,  of  the  old  second,  was  ap 
pointed  Major  of  the  Sixth,  as  re-organized.  Colonel  Kellogg 
brought  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  drafted  men  to  fill  the 
ranks  of  the  regiment,  as  he  states,  "to  the  maximum."  For  the 
history  of  the  service  of  the  regiment  under  Colonel  Kellogg  I 
have  no  data  beyond  the  official  records,  and  these  have  not  yet 
been  fully  published. 

One  more  duty  yet  remained  before  I  was  done  with  my 
service  in  the  war.  It  was  to  be  with  my  brother  while  he  passed 
through  the  ordeal  of  the  surgical  operation.  This  was  performed 
in  a  building  at  Fairmount,  near  Cincinnati, Ohio,  which  was  then 
used  as  an  officers'  hospital.  Dr.  George  C.  Blackman,  one  of 
the  most  skillful  surgeons  in  the  country  at  that  time,  performed 
the  operation.  My  aunt,  Miss  Julia  P.  Cutler,  wrote  to  our  sister 
in  Persia,  giving  my  own  contemporary  description  of  the  opera 
tion. 

MARIETTA,  OHIO,  SEPTEMBER  24th,  1864. 

"Mv  DEAR  JANE  : — Just  before  bed  time  Rufus  and  Mary 
came  in,  he  having  come  up  from  Cincinnati  to-day.  Dr.  Black- 
man  performed  the  operation  at  the  officers'  hospital.  Rufus 


312 


remained  with  him  through  the  whole,  and  helped  hold  his  hands 
while  it  was  done.     He  was  an  hour  and  a  half  tinder  the  sur 
geon's  knife  and  not  under  the  influence  of  chloroform.     During 
the  four  months  which  intervened  since  the  wound  was  received, 
the  jagged  flesh  had  been  put  together  and  a  sort  of  chin  formed, 
so  we  hoped  that  the  ujiefatioit  would  not  be  an  extensive  one, 
but  in  this  we  were  disappointed.     The  flesh  was  all  cut  loose, 
then  a  gash  cut  •^•••^fc  the  cheeks  on  both  sides  to  the  angle  of 
the  jaw:  slits  were  then  cot  f»M»m  with  them,  in  the  same  direc 
tion,  so  as  to  get  a  loose  strip  of  flesh  an  inch  wide,  which  was 
only  attached  to  the  face  at  the  angle  of  the  jaw.     These  strips 
were  polled  and  stretched  so  as  to  meet  over  an  artificial  under 
jaw  and  teeth,  to  form  an  under  lip.     The  tig1ii»«iMg  and  stretch 
ing;  of  these  strips  caused  the  upper  lip  to  be  pushed  out  of 
jlarr  and  protrude,  so  a  gore  had  to  be  cut  out  on  each  side  and 
sewed  up.     Then  the  flesh  which  had  been  loosened  from  the 
chin  was  pot  back  and  !••••••<!  so  as  to  fit  in  with  the  new  under 

lip.  He  lay  upon  the  table  unbound,  Rufus  holding  his  left  hand. 
Hi>  iself  possession  was  remarkable,  obeying  every  direction  of 
the  operator,  turning;  Ms  head  as  dig*****!,  until  the  agony  and 
the  loss  of  blood  exhausted  him,  and  only  a  shiver  ran  through 
his  frame.  After  it  was  over  and  stimulants  administered  he  rose 
and  walked  upstairs  to  his  room.  Dr.  ffilarimaii  considers  the 
U^**Amtm  *  great  ••*••»•*  He  invited  a  number  of  physicians  to 
be  present.  One  of  them  told  Rufus  that  a  man  who  could, 
endnrt  what  Major  Dawes  had  that  day  would  bear  burning  at 
the  stake." 


It  is  a  j^tlifji^  memory  to  me  that  when  my  brother  had  been 
told  that  the  operation  was  over.  Dr.  Blackman,  looking  at  his 
work,  said  :  "Major,  I  must  finish  up  with  two  more  stitches." 
The  Major,  to  whom  there  was  left  no  voice,  raised  up  one  finger 
to  plead  for  only  one.  I  cried:  "Dr.  Blackman,  don't  touch 
him,"  and  he  then  raised  up  both  fingers  and  the  two  stitches 
were  taken.  During  the  operation  he  came  near  strangling  with 
the  blood  in  his  mouth,  and  in  a  spasmodic  effort  to  get  his 
breath,  threw  out  the  lalse  teeth  and  jaw,  which  were  not  re 
placed.  It  is  perhaps  well  that  they  were  not,  but  this  made  nee- 


ni 

essary  a  month  later  a  second  operation  of  comparatively  limited 
rrtgiif.  To  the  casual  observer  no  trace  appears  under  the  fuH 
beard  now  worn  by  Colonel  Dawes,  but  a  glance  will  show  the 
marks  of  the  "gores'1  cut  in  bis  upper  lip.  Captain  Wm.  Wilson, 
now  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  Captain  W.  R.  Thomas  alternated 
with  me  in  holding  my  brother's  hand. 

Here  are  a  few  exceptional  records  to  which  "without  iuvidiuus 
discrimination/'  as  the  official  lepoiis  say,  I  may  call  aUmtinHL 

Edward  A.  Whaley,  of  company  "C,"  enlisted  April  y&,  1861, 
and  he  re-enlisted  as  a  vdetan  volunteer.  He  was  promoted  to 
Corporal.  First  Sergeant,  Captain  and  Major  by  brevet.  He  was 
wounded  at  South  Mountain,  at  Petersburg  and  at  Five  Forks. 
His  light  leg  was  amputated.  It  may  be  said  that  there  is  a  good 
deal  left  of  Major  Whaley.  who  still  fives,  a  much  lespected  and 
honored  citizen,  and  as  modest  as  be  was  unapproachably  faith 
ful,  brave  and  true. 

James  Whitty,  of  company  "A,"  was  wounded  at  Gainesville, 
at  South  Mountain,  at  Fitz  Hugh's  Crossing  and  at  flic  Wilder 
ness.  His  left  leg  has  been  amputated. 

Sergeant  Allison  Fouler,  of  company  "A,"  a  re-enlisted  vet 
eran,  was  wounded  at  South  Mountain,  at  Gettysburg,  at  the 
Weldon  Road  and  killed  at  Hatcher's  Run.  February  6th,  1865. 

Frack  Hare,  of  company  "B,"  a  re-enlisted  y^'Mi^  was 
seventy  wounded  at  Antietam,  was  wounded  and  a  ^•••ffHi^r  at 
the  battle  of  the  Wilderness.  His  leg  was  amputated  by  a  Con 
federate  surgeon. 

eter  Adrian,  of  company  "C,"  was  a  recruit,  who  came  to  us 
February  i8th,  1864.  He  developed  a  remarkable  capacity  for 
stopping  bullets.  He  was  wounded  at  Spottsylvania,  at  the 
Weldon  Road,  and  at  Five  Forks,  He  was  mustered  out  with 
the  regiment. 

First  Sergeant  Jacob  Lemans,  of  company  "C,"  was  wounded 
at  Gettysburg,  at  Petersburg  and  at  Five  Forks, 

Lieutenant  George  D.  Eggleston,  of  company  I  was 
wounded  at  Antietain.  at  Gettysburg  and  at  Spottsylvania. 

Sergeant  Leo  Gotsch.  of  company  "F."  was  wounded  a: 
tietam,  at  Petersburg  and  at  Hatchers  Run. 


314 

Henry  Steinmetz,  of  company  "F,"  was  wounded  at  Antietam, 
at  Gettysburg  and  at  the  Wilderness. 

Nathan  Burchell,  of  company  "I,"  was  wounded  at  Antietam, 
at  Laurel  Hill  and  at  Five  Forks. 

William  J.  Revels,  of  company  "K,"  was  wounded  at  South 
Mountain,  at  Gettysburg  and  killed  at  the  Weldon  Road. 

Sergeant  James  P.  Sullivan,  of  company  "K,"  was  wounded  at 
South  Mountain  and  discharged  as  disabled.  He  re-enlisted  in 
the  regiment  and  was  again  badly  wounded  at  Gettysburg. 
Nothing  discouraged,  he  re-enlisted  again  as  a  veteran  at  the  end 
of  his  second  term. 

Corporal  Dugald  Spear,  of  company  "D,"  was  wounded  at 
Antietam,  at  Gettysburg  and  killed  at  the  Weldon  Road. 

On  page  263,  in  the  account  of  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness  I 
say :  "On  the  afternoon  of  May  seventh  the  soldiers  in  the  line 
of  the  rebel  army  in  our  front  began  a  loud  cheering,  which  con 
tinued  to  run  along  their  lines  for  nearly  half  an  hour.  Its  signifi 
cance  I  have  never  learned."  Since  this  was  printed  I  have  found 
in  the  'History  of  Gregg's  Brigade  of  South  Carolinians,'  pub 
lished  by  J.  F.  J.  Caldwell,  an  officer  of  the  first  regiment  of  South 
Carolina  Volunteers,  a  full  history  of  the  affair.  I  quote  from 
this  author :  "While  we  were  closing  up  here  a  pace  at  a  time, 
the  grandest  vocal  exhibition  took  place  that  I  have  heard.  Far 
up  on  the  right  of  the  Confederate  line,  a  shout  was  raised. 
Gradually  it  was  taken  up  and  passed  down  until  it  reached  us. 
We  lifted  it  as  our  turn  came  and  handed  it  to  the  left,  where  it 
went  echoing  to  the  remotest  corner  of  Ewell's  corps.  This  was 
done  once  with  powerful  effect.  *  *  *  Again  the  shout  arose 
on  the  right,  again  it  rushed  down  upon  us  for  a  distance  of  per 
haps  two  miles.  Again  we  caught  and  flung  it  joyfully  to  the 
left,  where  it  only  ceased  when  the  last  post  had  huzzahed.  And 
yet  a  third  time  this  mighty  wave  of  sound  ran  along  the  Con 
federate  lines.  The  effect  was  beyond  expression." 

William  Jackson  came  home  with  me  as  he  desired.  First  I 
found  employment  for  him  as  a  waiter  in  a  hotel  and  next  in  the 
service  of  a  railroad  company.  He  needed  no  more  help.  His 
sterling  qualities  won  success.  For  twelve  years  he  served  as  a 
station  baggage  master  in  our  city.  He  then  started  in  business 


315 

» 

for  himself,  and  April  yth,  1886,  he  died  of  consumption.     He 
had  accumulated  a   handsome   property   and   with   his   brother 
owned  a  fine  home,  a  store  building  and  other  property.     Few 
young  men  do  better,  who  enjoy  the  best  advantages.     Every 
dollar  of  his  first  two  year's  earnings  he  saved  to  get  his  mother. 
His  brother  was  then  a  boot-black  in   the  St.  Charles  hotel  in 
Washington.     The  proprietor  of  that  hotel  took  a  kindly  interest 
with   me,   and  William's  brother,   Moses  Jackson,  a  brave  and 
true  man,  was  sent  to  Spottsylvania   County,  Virginia,  to  find 
their  mother.     He  was  successful  in  the  search.     He  found  her 
in  1866  still  held  as  a  slave  by  a  brute  named  Richardson.    Moses 
brought  his  revolver  to  bear  on  Richardson,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  push  and  drive  before  him  his  mother  and  a  sister,  while  he 
held  at  bay  this  Richardson.     Night  and  day  Moses  pushed  them 
through  on  the  march  to  Washington,  and  the  proprietor  of  the 
St.  Charles  hotel  sent  me  a  telegram  announcing  the  safe  arrival 
of  the  party.     I  sent  a  card  to  be  pinned  on  the  woman's  dress, 
giving  her  destination  and  the  route.     The  neat,   gentlemanly 
station  baggage  agent,  who  then  always  wore  the  army  blue, 
awaited  with  a  swelling  heart  the  arrival  of  the  train.     Only  by 
this  card  could  he  recognize  his  mother.     She  had  been  whipped 
and  choked,  so  that  her  power  of  speech  was  almost  gone,  owing 
to  injury  of  the  throat  and  palate.     The  daughter  was  an  idiot, 
rendered  so  by  blows  upon  her  head.     Poor  William !  he  could 
not  bear  to  take  this  bitterness  to  my  wife,  with  whom  he  had  so 
often  talked  and  planned  in  joyous  anticipation  ot  this  event,  but 
he   went   to  my   mother,   and  saying :    "Mrs.    Dawes,    see   what 
slavery  has  done!  "  he  broke  down  in  an  agony  of  grief  and  dis 
appointment.     Bravely  he  took  up  the  burden.     The  sister  soon 
died.     Mrs.  Jackson  was  an  unusually  bright  woman  and  before 
the  war,  as  her  associations  had  been  with  a  good  family,  she  was 
all  her  son  imagined  her.     She  outlived  both  of  her  faithful  sons, 
and   she  lived  in  the  enjoyment  of  comfort  and  even  luxury. 
The  gratitude  of  Mrs.  Jackson  was  amusing  as  well  as  touching. 
She  put  Abraham  Lincoln  as  the  first  man  and  myself  as  the 
second.     She  could  not  speak  to  me  on  the  subject,  because  her 
partly  paralyzed  tongue  would  not  act,  owing  to  her  excitement, 
so  she  put  on  her  best  one  day  and  came  to  tell  my  wife  her  tale 


316 

of  overflowing  thankfulness,  but  she  could  not  speak  a  word  only 
''William  will  done  write  it." 

An  examination  of  the  Adjutant  General's  Report  of  Wiscon 
sin,  a  most  complete  and  admirable  work,  shows  that  I  have  done 
injustice  to  the*  marksmanship  of  the  rebels  in  the  railroad  cut  at 
Gettysburg.  They  did  hit  Captain  Marston.  He  was  not 
knocked  out,  but  kept  the  field  as  I  remember. 


AFTER  SEVENTEEN  YEARS. 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  WASHINGTON 

DECEMBER  i£th 


>N,  D.  C.,  \ 

,  1881.      j 


"My  dear  wife: — I  have  to-day  worshipped  at  the  shrine  of 
the  dead.  I  went  over  to  the  Arlington  Cemetery.  It  was  a 
beautiful  morning  and  the  familiar  scenes  so  strongly  impresssed 
upon  me  during  my  young  manhood,  were  pleasant.  Many  times 
I  went  over  that  road,  admiring  the  beautiful  city  and  great  white 
capitol,  with  its  then  unfinished  dome,  going  to  hear  the  great 
men  of  that  day  in  Congress.  An  ambitious  imagination  then 
builded  castles  of  the  time  when  I  might  take  my  place  there. 
Now  at  middle  age,  with  enthusiasm  sobered  by  hard  fights  and 
hard  facts,  I  ride,  not  run  with  elastic  step  over  the  same  road, 
with  this  ambition  at  least  realized,  and  warmth  enough  left  in 
my  heart  to  enjoy  it.  My  friends  and  comrades,  poor  fellows, 
who  followed  my  enthusiastic  leadership  in  those  days,  and  fol 
lowed  it  to  the  death  which  I  by  a  merciful  Providence  escaped, 
lie  here,  twenty-four  of  them,  on  the  very  spot  where  our  winter 
camp  of  1 86 1 — 1862,  was  located.  I  found  every  grave  and  stood 
beside  it  with  uncovered  head.  I  looked  over  nearly  the  full 
16,000  head-boards  to  find  the  twenty- four,  but  they  all  died  alike 
and  I  was  determined  to  find  all.  Poor  little  Fenton  who  put 
his  head  above  the  works  at  Cold  Harbor  and  got  a  bullet 
through  his  temples,  and  lived  three  days  with  his  brains  out, 
came  to  me  in  memory  as  fresh  as  one  of  my  own  boys  of  to-day, 
and  L,evi  Pearson,  one  of  the  three  brothers  of  company  'A,' 
who  died  for  their  country  in  the  sixth  regiment,  and  Richard  Gray, 
Paul  Mulleter,  Dennis  Kelly,  Christ  Bundy,  all  young  men,  who 
fell  at  my  side  and  under  my  command.  For  what  they 
died,  I  fight  a  little  longer.  Over  their  graves  I  get  inspiration 


317 

to  stand  for  all  they  won  in  establishing  our  government  upon 
freedom,  equality,  justice,  liberty  and  protection  to  the  humblest." 

To  my  living  comrades  this  book  will  be  my  greeting  and 
farewell,  for  we  can  never  again  rally  on  our  color.  If  I  have 
brought  back  to  you,  by  the  printing  of  my  contemporary  papers, 
something  of  your  own  feelings  and  experiences  in  those  days  of 
glory,  which  you  had  lost,  and  if  I  have  said  aught  to  fan  to  life 
the  yet  smouldering  spark  of  fiery  zeal  for  the  honor  and  glory 
of  the  "Old  Sixth"  regiment,  I  am  content.  It  is  a  matter  of 
sincere  regret  that  many  noble  deeds  and  some  brave  men  are 
overlooked.  But  remember  I  was  not  then  a  historian.  I  was 
then  only  writing  to  my  family,  friends  and  M.  B.  G.,  (my  best 
girl),  who  were  personally  strangers  to  you  all.  I  wonder  that 
so  much  was  saved.  Enough  is  recorded,  here  and  elsewhere,  to 
show  the  generations  yet  to  come  that  our  band  was  of  the  finest 
quality  of  heroic  mettle,  and  "equal,"  as  General  McClellan  wrote, 
"to  the  best  troopS  in  any  army  of  the  world." 

The  shadows  of  age  are  rapidly  stealing  upon  us.  Our  burdens 
are  like  the  loaded  knapsack  on  the  evening  of  a  long  and  weary 
march,  growing  heavier  at  every  pace.  The  severing  of  the 
links  to  a  heroic  and  noble  young  manhood,  when  "generous 
courage  was  spurred  by  ambitious  hope,  goes  on,  but  you  have 
lived  to  see  spring  up  as  the  result  of  your  suffering,  toil  and 
victory  the  most  powerful  nation  of  history  and  the  most  benefi 
cent  government  ever  established.  "  While  you  are  in  the  sear  and 
yellow  leaf  your  country  is  in  the  spring-time  of  the  new  life  your 
victory  gave  it.  This  is  your  abundant  and  sufficient  reward.  It 
now  only  remains  for  me  to  lay  aside  my  pen,  as  I  did  my  sword, 
and  again  take  up  my  business. 

The  following  statements  are  taken  from  the  valuable  publica 
tion  of  Colonel  W.  F.  Fox,  entitled  "Regimental  Bosses  in  the 
Civil  War." 

"The  regiment  left  Wisconsin  July  28,  1861,  proceeding  to 
Washington,  where  it  was  assigned  to  the  brigade  which  was 
destined  to  fill  such  a  glorious  place  in  the  annals  of  the  war. 
The  Sixth  had  the  advantage  of  a  year's  drill  and  discipline  be 
fore  it  was  called  upon  to  face  the  enemy  in  a  general  engage 
ment,  its  first  battle  occurring  at  Manassas — August  28th  and  3oth 


318 

— where  it  lost  17  killed,  91  wounded,  and  n  missing.  The 
regiment  lost  at  South  Mountain,  n  killed,  79  wounded  and  2 
missing;  and  at  Antietam,  three  days  after,  26  killed,  and  126 
wounded.  Under  command  of  Colonel  Dawes,  it  won  merited 
distinction  at  Gettysburg  in  the  battle  of  the  first  day ;  all  his 
tories  of  that  field  mention  the  manoeuver — and  the  part  taken 
in  it  by  the  Sixth — by  wnich  a  part  of  a  Confederate  brigade  was 
captured  in  the  railroad  cut.  The  casualties  at  Gettysburg  were 
30  killed,  1 1 6  wounded,  and  22  missing.  Upon  the  re-organiza 
tion  of  the  army  in  March,  1864,  Wadsworth's  division  was  trans 
ferred  to  the  fifth  corps,  and  with  it  the  Iron  Brigade,  under 
General  Cutler.  The  regiment  lost  at  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness 
8  killed,  40  wounded,  and  15  missing;  at  Spottsylvania,  19  killed, 
69  wounded  and  5  missing;  at  Hatcher's  Run  (Dabney's  Mills), 
13  killed,  8 1  wounded,  and  7  missing  ;  at  Gravelly  Run,  5  killed, 
34  wounded,  and  32  missing.  Major  Philip  W.  Plummei  was 
killed  at  the  Wilderness." 

In  his  investigation  of  comparative  losses  in  battles,  Colonel 
Fox  has  included  about  two  thousand  regiments  which  were 
more  or  less  engaged  with  the  enemy.  In  the  number  of  men 
killed  in  battle,  the  sixth  Wisconsin  regiment  is  tenth  upon  the 
list.  Only  nine  regiments  engaged  in  the  war  suffered  a  greater 
loss  in  killed.  The  second  Wisconsin,  according  to  Colonel  Fox, 
suffered  the  greatest  loss  in  killed  in  proportion  to  the  whole 
number  upon  its  rolls  of  any  regiment  in  the  Union  army  during 
the  war.  Col.  Fox  says :  "The  'Iron  Brigade'  suffered  a  greater 
proportionate  loss  in  battle  than  any  other  brigade  in  the  Army 
of  the  Union." 


319 


SIXTH  WISCONSIN  INFANTRY. 
IRON  BRIGADE — WADSWORTH'S  DIVISION — FIRST  CORPS. 

(1)  COLONEL  LYSANDER  CUTLER,  BREVET  MAJOR  GENERAL. 

(2)  COLONEL  EDWARD  S.  BRAGG,  BRIGADIER  GENERAL. 

(3)  COLONEL  RUFUS  R.  DAWES,  BREVET  BRIGADIER  GENERAL. 

(4)  COLONEL  JOHN  A.  KELLOGG,      " 


COMPANIES. 

KlLLI 

;D  AND  D 
WOUNDS 

IED  OF 

. 

Officers 

Men. 

Total. 

^ield  and  Staff       

2 

2 

Company  'A'    

1 

28 

29 

2 

25 

27 

'C    . 

1 

14 

15 

'D'  

1 

28 

29 

<E' 

t) 

15 

17 

<F' 

3 

17 

20 

'G' 

2 

23 

25 

'H' 

0 

19 

19 

'I' 

o 

37 

37 

<K'  

2 

22 

24 

Totals... 

16 

228 

244 

224  killed — 12.5  per  cent,  of  total  enrollment. 

Of  the  1,058  men  originally  enrolled,  170  were  killed — 16  9  per  cent. 

Total  of  killed  and  wounded,  •  867 ;  missing  and  captured,  112;  died  in 

Confederate  prisons,  20. 


BATTLES.  K.  &  M.  W. 

Gainesville,  Va.,Aug.  28,  '62 14 

Manassas,  Va.,  Aug.  30,  '62  11 

South  Mountain,  Md 16 

Antietam,  Md 40 

Fitz  Hugh's  Crossing,  Va 5 

Gettysburg,  Pa 41 

Wilderness,  Va,  May  4-6,  '64 15 

Spottsylvania,  Va.,  May  8th 3 

Spottsylvania,  Va.,  May  10th 12 

Spottsylvania,  Va.,  May  12th 3 

Spottsylvania,  Va.,  May  13th 6 


BATTLES.  K.  &  M.  W. 

North  Anna,  Va 3 

Bethesda  Church,  Va 2 

Petersburg,  Va.  June  18th 10 

Petersburg  Trenches,  Va 5 

Weldon  Railroad,  Va 12 

Dabney's  Mills,  Va  ,  Feb.  6,  '65. ..24 

Gravelly  Run,  Va 9 

Five  Forks,  Va 7 

Picket  Line,  Vn,  Aug.  31,  '62 1 

Prison  guard,  Salisbury,  N.  C...  1 
Detail,  Artillery  Service 4 


List  of  battles  according  to  the  United  States  Army  Register:  Cedar 
Mountain,  Rappahannock,  Gainesville,  Groveton  and  Bull  Run,  South 
Mountain,  Antietam,  Fredericksburg,  Fitz  Hugh's  Crossing,  Chancellors- 
ville,  Gettysburg,  Haymarket,  Mine  Run,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania, 
North  Anna,  Tolopotomy,  Bethesda  Church,  Cold  Harbor,  Petersburg, 
Weldon  Railroad,  Hatcher'  Run,  Oct.  27,  1864,  Hatcher's  Run,  Feb.  6-7, 
1865,  Gravely  Run,  Five  Forks. 


INDEX 

Of  persons,  places  and  organizations  mentioned.     (Con.)  indicates  Confed 
erate,  (n)  reference  to  notes.     Numbers  indicate  pages. 


A. 


Acquia  Creek,  106 

Acquia  Creek  Railroad,  42,  116 

Adams,  Private,  106 

Adrian,  Peter,  313 

Alabama,  13th  Reg.  (Con.)  85 

Aldie  Gap,  154 

Alexandria,  36,  37 

Allen,  W.  VV.  13n 

Anderson,  Major,  115 

Anderson,  Miss,  16 

Anderson,  Private,  168 

Andrews,  Dr.  A.  D  ,  107,  115,  129 

Andrews,  Mrs.  E.  B.,  10 

Angle,  The  Bloody,  94,    255n,    267, 

268,  269 
Antietam,  Battle  of,  53,  88—97,  100, 

102,    107,   128,    183,    187,  205,  214, 

240,  313,  314,  318 

Babcock,  Serg.  Maj.  Cuyler,  291,  292, 

300,  307,  310 
Bachelle,  Captain  Werner  Von,  13, 

93,  98,  99 

Bachmau,  Lieut.  Col.  A.  F.,  92 
Bailey's  Cross  Roads,  Review  at,  28, 

30 

Bakersvffle,  Md.,  101,  102,  103 
Balfour,  Captain,  8 
Baltimore,  16,  17,  19,  145 
Baltimore  Turnpike,  179 
Ball,  Edward,  3(5 
Balls'  Cross  Roads,  34 
Banks,  General,  45,  55 
'•Banta,"  110 
Barcus,  Thomas,  94 
Barnesville,  156 
Bartlett,  Dr.  0.  F.,  13,  101,  102 
Bates,  Colonel,  '90,  265 
Battery   B,  4th   TJ.  S.  Artillery,  43, 

60,  66,  73,  81,  91,  95,  173,  175 
Battery,  Carpenter's,  (Con.),  (55 
Batterv,  Gerrish's,  53n 
Battery,  Hall's,  165,  166,  170 


B. 


Antietam  Creek,  86,  87,  153 

Antietam  Turnpike,  95 

Appomattox,  304,  311 

Arlington  Cemetery,  316 

Arlington  Heights,  25,  29,  30,  32,  36 

Arlington  House,  33,  35,  36 

Army,  Lee's,  (Con.)  109n,  171,  175, 
198,  244,  263 

Army  of  the  Potomac,  24,  30,  36,  37, 
58n,  69,  76,  78,  79,  100,  104,  105, 
109n,  118,  119,  123,  124,  125,  126, 
127,  128,  132,  145,  149,  153,  160, 
185,  186,  201,  250,  263,  278,  301 

Army,  Sherman's,  281 

Army  of  Virginia,  (Pope's),  69,  78 

Archer,  General,  (Con.),  166n 

Arnold,  J.  Middleton,  237 

Atwood,  Lieut.  Col.  J.  P.,  13n,'24 

Battery,  Huntington's  1st  Ohio,  197 
Battery,  Captain  Mink's,  276 
Battery,  Pogue's,  (Con.),  65 
Battery,  Simmon's  Ohio,  80,  85 
Battery,  W  coding's,  (Con.),  65 
Battle 'Hymn  of  the  Republic,  29n 
Beauregard,  General,  23 
Bealton  Station,  152 
Beech,  Surgeon  J.  H.,  272 
Beely,  Lieut.  John,  170n,  171n,  172n, 

276,  303n 
Belle  Plaine,  95,  115,  116,  117,  118, 

119,  123,  129,  130,   132,   135,   228, 

254,  256 

Benson,  Wesley,  287,  288,  289 
Bentley,  Captain  E.,  226n 
Berdan's  Sharpshooters,  266,  276 
Berlin,  188 
Bethesda  Church,  Battle  of,  279,  280, 

294 

Beverly  Ford,  193,  195,  222,  223 
Bickelhaupt,  William,  72 
Bickerdyke,  Mrs.,  287 
Biddle  .  Colonel,  173n 


322 


Bird,  George  W.,  9 

Birdeall,  Samuel,  27 

Blackman,  Dr.  George  C.,  311,  312 

Blair,  Major  J.  A.,  (Con.),  158n,  1GO, 
161,  169,  183 

Blenker,  General,  27 

Bode,  Lieutenant,  89,  98 

Boonesboro,  86,  185 

Bowling  Green  Eoad,  53,  111,  112, 
149 

Bradford,  Hill,  205 

Bragg,  General  Edward  S.,  13,  15, 
20,  25,  32,  39,  49,  54,  57,  61,  62,  63, 
67n,  71,  72,  75,  76,  77,  78n,  82,  83, 
84,  85n,  89,  93,  96,  98,  99,  103,  105, 
106,  108,  110,  114,  115,  129,  130, 
131,  132,  135,  136.  137,  138,  139, 
146,  147,  149,  185,  189,  193,  201, 
202,  204,  214,  216,  221,  222,  227, 
232,  237,  240,  241,  243,  244,  246, 
249,  251,  253,  255,  257,  259,  260, 
261,  263,  266,  267,  272,  279,  283, 
284,  285,  291,  293,  297,  304,  306, 
307,  309,  310,  311 

Bragg,  General,  (Con.),  210 

Brandy  Station,  194.  212,  222 

Brent,  Dr.  C.  P.,  286n 

Brentsville,  217,  221 

Bridgeport,  Alabama,  233 

Brigade,  Archer's,  (Con  ),  165,  171 

Brigade,  Augur's,  35,  40 

Brigade,  Baker's,  28 

Brigade,  Baylor's,  (Con.),  65,  66 

Brigade,  Cutler's,  165,  166,  167,  171, 
172, 174 

Brigade,  J.  R.  Davis',  (Con.),  165, 
171 

Brigade,  Doubleday's,  59,  66,  67 

Brigade,  Early's,  (Con.),  65,  66 

Brigade,  Gibbon's,  40,  43,  45,  51,  53, 
56,  57,  59,  60,  65,  70,  78,  79,  80,  85, 
87,  92,  104,  105,  109,  146,  225 

Brigade,  Gregg's,  ''Con.),  314 

Brigade,  Hatch's,  59 

Brigade,  Hood's  Texas,  (Con.),  91n, 
95 

Brigade,  Iron,  25n,  45,  53,  96,  109n, 
110,  112,  131,  139n,  153,  164,  165, 
166n,  171,  174,  175,  179,  191,  197, 


201,  202,  203,  205,  206n,  214.  21 9n, 

227,  231,  232,  247,  253,   259,   261, 

264,  266,  267,  269,  272,   274,   275, 

276,  277,  290,  291,  306,  309,  318 
Brigade,  Junior  Bucktails,  174,  175, 

257,  263,  266,  267 
Brigade,  King's,  35 
Brigade,  Law  s,  (Con.),  91n,  95 
Brigade,  Lawton's,  (Con.)  65,  66 
Brigade,  Lightburn's,  (15th  Corps), 

281 

Brigade,  Patrick's,  57,  59,  66,  68,  70 
Brigade,  Starke's,  (Con.),  65,  66 
Brigade,  Second,  (4th  Div.),  276 
Brigade,  Taliaferro's,  (Con.),  59,  65, 

66 

Brigade,  Trimble's,  (Con.),  65,  66 
Brigade,  Wadsworth's,  35 
Briggs,  General  H.  S.,  190,  193,  198, 

200,  201 

Bristoe  Station,  37,  39,  213,  217,  218 
Broad  Run,  154,  155,  214 
Brockenbrough,  Mrs.,  121 
Brock  Road,  263 
Brooklyn,  14th  Regiment,  38,  60,  90, 

102,   136,   161,  163,   165,    167,    173, 

182,  216,  223,  246 
Brooks,  Adjutant  E.  P.,  54n,  58n,  61, 

84,  148,  152n,  169,  170,  180n,  207, 

220,  242,  247,  276,  294,  295n,  300 
Brooks  Station,  107 
Brough,  Governor,  243 
Brown,  Captain  E.  A.,  13,  31,  32,  35, 

49,  57,  88.  98,  99n 
Brown,  Ralph,  32 
Buckland's  Mills,  59,  21 4n,  215 
Buford,  General,  164,  194n,  212 
Bull  Run,  59,  69,  75,  149,  151,  214, 

216 
Bull  Run,  Second  Battle  of,  53,  70— 

75,  187,  213,  318 
Bull,  Norman  S.,  251n 
Bundy,  Christ.,  317 
Burchell,  Natha-u,  314 
Burns,  John,  164 
Burnside,  General,  94,  105,  107,  108, 

114,  115,  116,  118,  243 
Butler,  General,  278 


C. 


Cake,  Dr.  W.  M.,  286n 

Callis,  Lieut.  Colonel  John  B.,  78n, 

81,  85n,  96n,  159n 
Camp  Atwood,  18 
Camp  Cutler,  16 
Camp  Lyon,  24 


Camp  Randall,  11,  15 

Campbell,  Lieutenant, Win.  S.,  170n, 

303n 

Carl's  Bridge,  54 
Carroll,  Colonel  S.  S.,  266 
Carter;   Lieutenant   Colonel  B.   F., 


323 


(Con.),  96n 

Cashtown  Turnpike,  167,  174 
Catlett's  Station,  39,  45,  46,  218 
Cedar  Mountain,  55,  56,  204 
Cemetery    Hill.    (Gettysburg),   176, 

177,  178,  179,  180,  181 
Centreville,  36,  38,  58,  59,  75,  151, 

211,  212,  213,  214,  215,  217,  232 
Chain  Bridge,  22,  23,  24,  25n 
Chamberlain,  George  E.,  46n 
Chancellorsville,  Battle  of,  137—139, 

187,  226 

Chandler,  Captain,  32 
Chantilly,  Battle  of,  75 
Chapman,  Surgeon  C.  B.,  13n 
Chapman,   Lieutenant    0.    D.,  168, 

170n,  180n 

Charleston,  (S.  C.),  296 
Chase,  Salmon  P.,  270,  271 
Chattanooga,  208,  209,  289 
Chickahominy,  284,  285,  290 
Chickamanga,  208 

Christian  Commission,  241,  256,  294 
City  Point,  308,  310 
Clark,  Kev.  L.  F.,  240,  241 
Clark's  Mountain,  211 
Clary  C.  H.,  251n 
Cobb,  Amasa,  21,  24 
Cochran,  Kev.  Warren,  245,  283,  285, 

298 

Coffin,  C.  C.,  258n 
Cold  Harbor,  Battle  of,  94,  187,  279, 

280,  280-284,  285,  294 
Colquitt,  Col.  A.  H.,  (Con.)  85 
Columbia  College,  19 
Col  well,  Capt.  Wilson,  81    ' 
Company  A,   (6th  Wis.),  12,  18,  83, 

103,  170n,  264,  283,  292,  313 
Company  B,   13,  18,  27,  57,  81,  103, 

161,  170n,  ISOn,  251,  310,  313 
Company  C,  13,  23,  26,  63,  92,  103, 

106,  110,  152n,  155,  168,  170n,  251, 

265,  277,  310,  313 
Company  D,  26,  94,  103,  168,  170n, 

283,  314 
Company  E,  12,  15,  17,  20,  25,  26,  39, 

57,   63n,  88,   103,   122,   168,   170n, 

264,  313 
Company  F,  13,  72,  89,  93,  103,  170, 

180n,  265,  313,  314 
Company  G,  26,  103,  170n,  261,  296, 

297,  301,  302,  309 
Company  H,  13,  103,  161,  168,  170n, 

228,  267 
Company  I,  23,  26,  56  72,  84,  88,  94, 

103,  112,  113,  155,  161,  168,  170n, 

180n,  259,  261,  297n,  314 


Company  K,  12,  15,  16,  19,  20,  25, 
26,  31,  32,  36,  39,  45,  71,  81,  103, 
170n,  203,  264,^266,  272,  306,  314 

Cone  Riyer,  120 

Converse,  Lieutenant  James  L.,  26, 
170n,  253,  261,  296 

Converse,  Captain  Rollin  P.,  81,  93, 
98,  170,  180n,  251,  253,  259,  260 

Cooper,  John,  134n 

Corps,  1st  Army,  78,  87,  116,  131, 
139,  145,  146,  158,  162,  164,  172n 
175n,  176,  219,  220,  222,  225,  226, 
230,  239,  240,  306 

Corps,  2nd  Army,  203,  204,  213,  219, 
227,  230,  258,  261,  262 

Corps,  3rd  Army,  182,  219,  222 

Corps,  5th  Army,  138,  239,  240,  250, 
256,  258,  259,  261,  263,  269,  275, 
278n,  291,  299,  318 

Corps,  6th  Army,  147,  149,  222,  267 

Corps,  8th  Army,  145 

Corps,  9th  Army,  243,  247,  256 

Corps,  llth  Army,  137,  172n,  176, 
179,  210 

Corps,  12th  Army,  181,  182,  208,  210 

Corps,  15th  Army,  281 

Corps,  EwelPs,  (Con.)  174,  176,  213, 
227,  314 

Corps,  Fitz  John  Porter's,  69 

Corps,  Hill's,  (Con.),  174,  261,  275 

Corps,  Longstreet's,   (Con.),  73,  274 

Corps,  McDowell's,  37n,  45,  46n,  78 

Corps,  Sherman's  233 

Corps,  Stonewall  Jackson's,  (Con.), 
55,  58,  70,  95 

Couch,  General,  138 

Covington,  Lieutenant  George  B., 
288 

Crane,  Surgeon  C.  H.,  271 

Crane,  Lieut.  John,  8,  13,  25n,  26 

Cresson,  16 

Crounse,  L.  L.,  94 

Cub  Run,  75 

Culpepper,  191 194n,  203,  205, 206, 207, 
208,  211,  212,  214,  234,  235,  236,  238, 
240,  241,  242,  243,  245,  247,  249 

Gulps'  Hill,  (Gettysburg),  160,  171, 
179,  180,  182,  204 

Cutler,  General  Lysander,  12,  13,  18, 
20,  26,  27,  31,  32,  34,  35,  37,  43,  49, 
50,  53,  54,  55n,  58,  60,  61,  62,  77, 
98,  101,  104,  105,  109,  112,  113,  119, 
129,  130,  171n,  183n,  189,  194,  198, 
200,  202,  208,  216,  219n,  220n,  221, 
222,  223,  224n,  234.  238,  240,  257, 
262n,  263n,  267n,  274,  276,  284,  291, 
294,  298,  300,  318 


324 


Cutler,  W.  P.  Hon.,  7n,  34,  36,  107,          114,  115,  118,  119,  123, 191,  250 


D. 


Daily,  Major,  D.  B.,  121,  311 

Dallas,  Georgia,  Battle  of,  281n,  286 

Davies,  Major  H.  W.,  54,  55n 

Davies,  Colonel  J.  Mansfield,  54 

Davis,  General  Joseph  R.,  (Con.), 
170,  183n 

Davis,  Colonel  P.  S.,  21 8n 

Dawes,  Colonel  E.  C.,  8,  31n,  40,  105, 
154,  196,  233,  244,  263,  281,  285, 
286,  287,  288,  289,  311,  312,  313 

Dawes,  Henry,  270,  271 

Dawes,  Hon.  H.  L.,  34 

Dawes,  General  R.  R.,  8,  10,  11,  13n, 
49,  54,  55n,  114,  115,  124n,  129,  140, 
152n,  159n,  161,  173n,  180n,  181, 
182,  183n,  196,  202,  218n,  226n,  250, 
251,  252,  253,  256,  259,  270,  271, 
272,  273,  299,  300,  303,  304,  311 

Dawes,  Captain  Wm.  J.,  239 

Deep  Run,  151,  152 

Dernpsey,  M.,  256 

Dill,  Colonel  D.  J.,  13,49,236 

Division,  Crawford's,  306 

Division,  Doubleday's,  87 

Division,  Swell's,  (Con.),  59,  65,  66 

Division,  4th,  (5th  Corps),  240,  248, 
250,  257,  259,  260,  261  262,  274,  284, 
306 

Division,  Franklin's,  (Grand),  37, 
107,  109,  110 

Division,  Gibbon's,  110 


Edgell,  Lieutenant,  53n,  54 
Edwards,  Dr.,  288 
Edwards  Ferry,  156 
Eggleston,  Corporal,  168 
Eggleston,   Lieutenant,   George   D., 

313 

Ellis,  Lieutenant,  Arthur  C.,  58n 
Ely,  Captain,  92 


Division,  Griffin's,  275,  276 

Division,  Hatch's,  78,  80 

Division,  Gen.   Edward   Johnson's, 

(Con.),  255n 

Division,  Kearney's,  58n 
Division,  King's,  37,  46n,  51,  55,  56, 

59,  70 

Division,  McDowell's,  25,  28,  33,  35n 
Division,  McCall's,  37 
Division,  Meade's,  110 
Division,  Pennsylvania  Reserves,  87, 

266.  279,  280 

Division,  2nd,  (5th  Corps),  264 
Division,  2nd,  (15th  Corps),  281 
Division,  Shield's,  45 
Division,  Steinwehr's,  178 
Division,  Stonewall  Jackson's, (Con.) 

65,  66,  95 
Division,  Wadsworth's,  146, 153, 161, 

164,  165,  166,  318 
Dix,  General  John  A.,  19 
Doubleday,  General  Abner,  51,  62, 

67,  87,  92,  93,  96n,  101,  109n,  112n, 

113,  115,  161,  165,  166,  172,  183n 
Dow,  General  Neal,  247 
Dudley,  Lieut.  Col.Wm.W.,  92,  96n, 

159n 
Dunkard   Church,    (Antietam),   90, 

92,95 

Dunn,  Harry,  228 
Dwight,  Lieut.  Col.  Walton,  218n 


B. 


Emancipation    Proclamation,    126, 

230,  231 

Emmitsburg,  157,  158,  161 
Eminittsburg  Road,  164 
Emmons.,  A.  G.  32 
Evans,  Sergeant  William,  159,  161, 

170, 172n 
Ewell,  Gen.  (Con.)  66,  68,  213,  258 


F. 


Fairchild,  Gen.  Lucius,  48,  62,  74, 
78n,  85n,  109n,  120,  121,  159n, 
166n,  201,  217,  237,  300 

Fairfax  Court  House,  36,  37,  75 

Fairfax  Seminary,  37 

Fairfield,  Sergeant,  Geo.  265 

Falmouth,  40 

Fenton,  Lawson,  283,  316 

Fenton,  R.  C.,  34 

Fine,  Rudolph,  75 

Finnicum,  Major  Mark,  159n 


Fitch,  Lieutenant,  Michael  H.,  27 
Fitz,  Hugh's  Crossing,  Battle  of,  136, 

137,  187,  313 
Five  Forks,  313,  314 
Flannagin,  Lieut.  Colonel,  159n 
Fletcher,  Abe,  46 
Fletcher,  Sergeant,  232 
Flynn,  Major  Patrick,  287 
Ford,  Capt.  Chas.  H.,  143,  144,  170n, 

303n 
Fowler,  Colonel  E.  B.,  167n,  173n, 


325 


183 

Fowler,  Sergeant  A.,  313 
Fox,  Col.  W.  F.  (Statistics)  318,  319 
Franklin,  General  W.  B.,  106 
Frederick  City,  78,  79,  157 
Frederickflburgh,  40,  44,  45,  47,  48, 

50,  51,  52,  53,  55,  106,  108,  138,  139, 


147,  149,  214,  220,  252,  254,  255, 

256,  257,  258,  278 
Fredericksburgh,  Battle  of,  94,  108- 

113,  128,  135,  144,  187 
Frederick's  Hall  Raid,  46,  53-55 
Frederick's  Hall  Station,  54,  55 
Funkstown,  186 


G. 


Gaby,  William  D.,  288 

Gaines  Farm.  284 

Gainesville,  59,  215 

Gainesville,  Battle  of,  53,  60-68,  70, 

74n,  95,  187,  214,  220n,  313 
Gary,  Lieutenant  Colonel,  M.  W., 

(Con.)  96n 
Gates,   Beman,   237,   250,    251,   252, 

254,  256,  258,  277 
Gates,  Charles  B.,  192,  249,  253,  284, 

285 

Gates,  Miss  M.  B.,  140,  162,  237 
Gaubatz,  Philip,  258 
Geary,  General  John  W.,  183 
Georgetown  Hospital,  251 
Georgia,  6th  Regiment,  85 
Georgia,  13th  Regiment,  311 
Georgia,  23rd  Regiment,  85 
Georgia,  26th  Regiment.  85 
Georgia,  28th  Regiment,  85 
Gettysburg,  95,  153,  158,   161,  164, 

171,  176,  180,  186,  195,  240 
Gettysburg,  Battle  of,  151,  158-186, 


187,   188,   192,  196,  215,   306,  313, 

314,  316,  318 

Germania  Ford,  226,  250 
Gibbon,  General  John,  43,  44,  49,  50, 

53,  54,  60,  63,  67,  68,  71,  72,  81,  83, 

84,  91,  92,  96n,  105,  106 
Goltermann,  Lieutenant  Wrn.,  170, 

180n,  265,  303 
Gordonsville,  52 
Gorman,  General,  84 
Gotsch,  Sergeant  Leo,  313 
Graetz,  Lieut.  Oscar,  170n,  253,  265 
Grant,  General  U.  S.,  238,  239,  240 

241,   250,  256,  258,   278,  290,   294' 

295n,  308 

Gravelly  Run,  318 
Gray,  Richard,  316 
Green,  Dr.  J.  H.,  289 
Greene,  General  Geo.  S.,  181,  183 
Griggs,  Cassius,  46n 
Grover,  Colonel  Ira  B.,  247,  259,  260 
Guilford,  156 
Guinea's  Station,  274 


H. 


Hagerstown,  186,  187 

Hall,  Captain,  170 

Hall,  Dr.  John  C.,  104,  108,  114,  115, 

122,  132,  148,  176n,  195,  196,  200 

204,  205,   216,  229,   241,  298,  302, 

303,  309 

Hamilton,  Lieutenant  Colonel,  62 
Hamilton's  Heights,  111 
Hancock,  Gen.  W.  S.,  24,  255n,  290 
Hanover  Town,  278 
Hardaway,  Capt.  R.  A.,  (Con.)  112 
Harper's  Ferry,  16,  79,  214,  284 
Hare,  Frank,  313 
Harries,  Lieutenant  Wm.  H.,  266 
Harris,  Ira,  53n 
Harris,  Lieut.  L.  G.,  26,  152n,  165, 

166n,  170,  171n,  303n 
Harrisburg,  16 
Harris'  Store,  274 
Hart,  Captain,  143 
Hart,  Corporal  J.  E.,  264 
Haskell,  Colonel  Frank  A.,  11,  12, 

13,  20,  21,  23,  25,  49,  50,  128 


Hatch,  General  J.  P.,  60,  67n,  76,  78, 
87n 

Hatcher's  Run,  313,  314,  318 

Haupt,  Herman,  43 

Hauser,  Major  J.  F.,  13,  49,  129,  144, 
151,  152n,  159n,  169,  170,  180n  198, 
227,  232,  238,  242 

Hayes,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Ruther 
ford  B.,  80 

Haymarket,  214,  216,  220 

Heathville,  120,  121 

Hendrick,  Ed.,  34 

Heth,  General  Henry,  (Con.)  171  n, 
183n 

Hickenlooper,  General  Andrew,  43 

Hickok,  Corporal  Wm.,  277 

Hill,  General  A.  P.  (Con.)  147,  183n 

Hoffman,  Colonel  J.  W.,  218n,  276 

Hollenger  Family,  172n 

Holman,  Mr.,  34 

Hood,  General  J.  B.,  (Con.)  96u 

Hooe,  Capt.  A.  S.,  13n,  32,  35,  49,  92 

Hooker,  General  Joseph,  74,  78,  80, 


326 


85,  86,  96,  118,  119,  120n,  125,  126, 
129,    132,  138,   142,   148,  149,    151, 
155,  157,  209,  210 
Howe,  Mrs.  Julia  Ward,  29 
Hughes,  Captain  Robert,  266 
Huntington,  Captain,  202 

Indiana,  7th  Kegiment,  180,  247,  259, 

260,  261 
Indiana,  19th  Regiment,  25,  48,  59, 


I. 


Huntington,  Lieutenant  Howard  J., 
89,  90,  120,  121,  139,  170n,  283, 
297n,  303n 

Hutchins,  Capt.  Wm.,  305,  307,  310 
Hyatt,  Captain  Chas.  P.,  57,  93,  170n, 
180n,  267,  306,  307 


Jackson,  Moses,  315 

Jackson,  Mrs.,  315 

Jackson,  General  Stonewall,  (Con.), 

45,  47,  51,  55,  59,  65,  66,  68,  69,  79, 

137 
Jackson,  William,  55,  109,  152,  155, 

200,  201,  221,   238,  242,  277,   284, 

292,  298,  314,  315 
"Jake,"  38,  39 
James  River,  290 
Jefferson,  (Md.),  156 
Jericho  Ford,  274 
Jericho  Ford,  Battle  of,  275-277,  278, 

285 


60,  63,  64,  66,  74n,  78u,  80,  81,  86, 
92,  97,  113,  143,  157,  159n,  165,  184, 
276,  277,  279 


J- 


Jerusalem  Plank  Road,  310 
Johnson,  Governor  Andrew,  126 
Johnson,  Lieutenant  A.  J.,  13n,  25n 
Johnson,  Lieut.  Jerome  B.,  63n,  98 
Johnston,  General  Jos.  E.,  (Con.), 

196 

Johnson,  Mrs.,  287 
Johnson,  Captain  Leonard,  13,  25n 
Jones,  Colonel,  281,  286n 
Jones,  E.  C.,  122,  123,  223 
Jones,  General  J.  R.,  (Con.),  96n 
Jones,  Lieutenant  Meredith,  166 
Jordon,  Lieut.  Colonel,  217,  218 
Juneau,  County  of,  5,  272 


K. 


Kalorama,  19,  22 

Kanouse,  T.  D.,  20 

Kearny,  General  Philip,  74,  75 

Keedysville,  86,  87 

Kellogg,  General  John  A.,  6,  8,  13n, 
18,  26,  32,  35,  56,  84,  88,  90,  93,  94, 
113,  129,  171n,  253,  259,  261,  272, 
285,  295,  296,  304,  310,  311 

Kelly,  Dennis,  316 

Kelly,  Isaiah  F.,  225n 

Kelly,  Corporal  James,  161 

Kelly,  Judge  W.  D.,  114 

Kelly's  Ford,  211,  212,  225,  227,  229, 


230,  232,  233 
Kent,  Captain  Lewis  A.,    261,  296, 

297,  301,  303 
Kerr,  Major  Thomas,  27,  168,  170n, 

305,  310,  311 
Kilmartin,  John,  227 
Kilpatrick,  General  Judson,  54,  55, 

215,  220,  222 
King,  General  Rufus,  19,  20,  27,  36, 

39,  49,  65,  67,  73 
King  George  Court  House,  143 
Kingston,  (Georgia),  281,  287 
Klein,  Sergeant,  232 


Lacy  House,  (Wilderness),  261 
Lair,  Dr.  J.  A  ,  286n 
Lampe,  Charles,  72 
Landrum  House,  269 
Langworthy's  Hall,  6 

Laurel   Hill,   253n,  258,  264,   265, 

266,  269,  285,  306,  314 
Law,  Col.  E.  M.,  (Con.),  96n 
Lawrence,  William,  84n 
Lee,  Fitz  Hugh,  (Con.),  215 
Lee,  Col.  John  C.,  117 
Lee,  Gen.  Robert  E.,  (Con.),  33,  56, 

69,  86,  100,  111,  145,  154,  155,  185, 

192,  193,  198,  213,  219,  258 


Leesburg,  152,  154 

Lemans,  Sergeant  Jacob,  313 

Lemonweir  Minute  Men,  6,  10 

Leonard,  Col.  S.  H.,  218n 

Lewis,  Governor,  247 

Lewis,  Hugh,  64n 

Lewis,  Lieut.  J.  D.,  13,  25n 

Libby  Prison,  220,  247 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  5,  7,  19,  30,  45, 

76,  100,  105,  118,  126,  131n,   146, 

230,  249,  309 
Lindley,  Maj.,  159n 
Lindwurm,  Captain  W.  H.,  13,  25n 
Linsley,  Captain,  48 


327 


Lisbon,  78 

Lockwood,  Captain  H.  C.,  216n 

Locust  Grove,  227 

Long,  Representative,  246 


Longstreet,   Gen.    (Con.),   180,   210 

251n,  202 

Lowrance,  Col.  W.  J.,  (Con.),  175n 
Lyons,  Lord,  37 


M. 


Macon    Georgia,  (Military  Prison), 

295,  296 
Madison,  11 
Mahone,  GeneraJ  302 
Malloy,  Captain,  A.  G.,  12,  13 
Maloney,  Patrick,  166n 
Manassas,  36,  58n,  64,  65,. 67,  68,  69, 

151.  212,  222 

Mangan,  Lieut.  Michael,  170n 
Mansfield,  Maj.  John,  120, 159n,  183n 
Marietta,  7n,  9n,  10,  124,  191,  192, 

224,  236,  237,  238 

Marsh,  Captain  J.  F.,  13,  27,  64,  98 
Marsh  Creek,  157,  188 
Marston,  Captain  J.  H.,  13, 168, 170n, 

316 

Marten,  Lieut.,  164,  165 
Martindale,  General  J.  H.,  226n 
Mason,  Isaac  N.,  13 
Massachusetts,  12th  Reg't.,  190,  265 
Massachusetts,  13th  Reg't.,  218n 
Massachusetts,  14th  Regiment,  21 
Massachusetts,  15th  Regiment,  21,  28 
Massachusetts,  39th  Regiment,  21 8n 
Massaponax  River,  110,  112 
Mataponv  River,  274 
Mauston,  6,  7,  10 
Mauston  Star,  272,  273 
M'Cauley,  Lieutenant  P.  H.,  13,  25n 
M'Clellan,   General    George  B,  19, 

21,  23,  24,  28,  30,  33,  37,  76,  79,  83, 

85,  100,  105.  107,  114,  118,  119,  240, 

309,  317 

M'Clellan,  Captain,  102, 103 
M'Cunn,  Judge,  246 
M'Dowell,  General  Irvin,  25,  27,  28, 

36,  37,  45,  46,  51,  59,  68,  69,  81,  219 
M'Parlin,  Surgeon  Thomas  A.,  271 
M'Pherson  Woods,  164,  171,  174 
Meade,  General  George  G  ,  157,  158, 

160, 186,  187, 192,  196,  202,  212,  213, 

217,  219,  225,  230,  232,  240,  299 
Merchant,  Lieutenant  H.  B.,  170n, 

303,  308 
Meredith,  General  Solomon,  27,  78n, 


85n,  107, 108,  109n,  112, 132n,  136n, 

153,  157,  164,  166,  179 
Meredith,  Colonel  S.  A.,  68 
Meredian  Hill,  21 
Merrill,  Emory,  206 
Merrill,  Lawson,  206 
Messenger's  Ford,  196 
Michigan,  24th  Reg't.,  101,  105,  112, 

134,  135,   136,  138,  159n,  165,  184, 

197 

Middleburg,  189,  191 
Middleton,  79,  80, 156 
Milhau,  Surg  jon  J.  J.,  271 
Miller,  Captain,  102 
Miller,  David  R.,  SSn 
Mills,  Simeon,  14 
Milwaukee,  16,  236,  237,  23S 
Milwaukee  Light  Infantry,  236 
Milwaukee  Zouaves,  12 
Mine  Explosion,  302 
Mine  Run,  224,  227,230 
Mink.  Captain,  276 
"Mink,"  48,  200 
Mississippi,  2nd  Reg't.,  95.  158,  159, 

160,  161,  169,  170,  173,  180n,  183 
Mitchell's  Ford,  225,  227 
Montague,  Lieutenant  G.  L.,  13,  25n 
Monteith,  R  ,  303 
Montgomery  Hall,  23 
Morgan,  General  John  (Con.),   191, 

192 

Morrisonville,  222 
Morrow,  Colonel  Henry  A.,  101, 112, 

134,  143,  159n,  183n 
Morton's  Ford,  208,  209,  211 
Mosby,  Colonel  J.   S.,    (Con.),  189, 

199,  220,  147 

Mossee,  VJr.,  241,  247,  248 
Mount  Pleasant,  53 
Mountain  Run,  227 
Mulleter,  Paul,  316 
Munson's  Hill,  23,  34 
Muster  Roll  of  Company    K.,    17n, 

18n 


N. 


Nashville,  289 

Nazro,  Captain,  236 

New  Baltimore,  59 

Newton,  General  John,  189, 190,  202, 


209,  214,  215,  216,  224,  243 
New  York,  2nd  Reg't.,  21,  84,  85 
New  York,  24th  Reg't.,  102 
New  York,  69th  Reg't.,  21 


328 

New  York,  76th  Reg't.,   62,   66,  68,  North  Anna  River,  54,  270,  274,  275> 

165,  220n  276,  277,  278,  279 

New  York,  79th  Reg't.,  21  North  Anna,  Battle  of,  277,  278,  294 

New  York,  95th  Reg't.,  68,  161,  168,  Northern  Neck,  143 

165.  167,  173,  218  Northumberland  County  Raid,  120- 

New  York,  147th  Reg't.,  165  123 

New  York,  91st  Heavy  Artillery,  311  Northrup,  Captain  M.  A.,  13,  25n 

New  York  Herald,  94  Noyes,  Captain  D.  K.,  13,  83,  87,  98, 

Nichols,  Dr.  H.  W.,  286n  232 

Nichol,  Lieut.  John,  13,  25n  Ny  River,  269 

o. 

Ohio,  23rd  Reg't.,  80  O'Neill,  Mayor,  237 

Ohio,  53rd  Reg't.,  281,  286  Orange    and    Alexandria   Railroad, 

Ohio,  55th  Reg't  ,117,  118  193,  219,  222,  236 

Ohio,  73rd  Reg't ,  178  Orange  Court  House,  52 

Ohio,  148th  Reg't.,  249  O'Rourke,  Capt.  John,  13,  25n 

"Old  Mat,"  110  Orr,  Capt..  276 

O'Neal,  Larry,  283  Osborne,  Col.,  242,  246 

P. 

Pamunky  River,  279  Pittsburg  Landing,  Battle  of,  39 

Patrick,  Gen.,  67  Plank  Road,  (Wilderness),  262n 

Patterson  Park,  16,  18,  19  Ping  Uglies,  17,  18 

Pattison,  Capt   A   B.,  299  Plummer,  Major  P.  W.,  13,  23,  26, 

Paxton,  Miss  Saliie,  172n  54.  93,  223.  242,  247,  249,  251,  253, 

Pearson,  Jesse,  292  259,  260,  279,  295 

Pearson,  Levi,  292,  316  Plurnrner,  Captain  T.  W.,  13,  152n, 

Pears*  »n ,  W  m . ,  292  279,  303n 

Pelouz,  Louis  H.,  271  Po  River,  '274 

Pendieton,  Col  Edmund  (Con).,  96n  Poffenberger's    House,    (Antietam), 

Pendleton,  Jack,  234  92,  <):•; 

Pennsylvania  College,  176,  177  Poo'sville,  156 

Pennsylvania,  8th  Reg't.  (Reserves),  Pope,  General,  51,  52,  53,  55,  58n,  66, 

280n  76 

Pennsylvania,  32nd  Rog't ,  21  Potomac  Creek,  42,  44 

Pennsylvania,  56th  Reg't ,  62,  66,  68,  Potomac  River,  22,  115,  120, 156, 157, 

165/197,  218n,  219n  186.  188 

Pennsylvania,  83rd  Reg't.,  276  Port  Royal,  134 

Pennsylvania,  149th  Reg't.,  174,  218n  Preston,  Dr.  A.  W.,  13,  115,  134,  137, 

262  140,  141,  170,  196,  203,  251,  302 

Pennsylvania,  150th  Reg't.,  218n  Pruyn,  Lieutenant  Howard  F.,  55, 

Pennsylvania,  167th  Reg't.,  194  93,  170n,  253,  264 

Pennsylvania,  188th  Reg't,  293  Pryor,   General    Roger   A.,    (Con.), 

Perrin,  Colonel  Abuer.  (Con.),  175n  205,  207 

Petersburg,  Siege  of,   290-303,  313,  Pye,  Major  Edward,  167,  168,  183n, 

314  218 
Pickett,  General,  (Con.),  160,  182 

Q- 

Quaw,  Captain  David  L.,  16,  26,  31,  43,  71 

R. 

Racine,  16  Rappahannock  River,  40,  44,  56,  58, 

Raccoon  Ford,  211  108,  109,  112,    116,  117,   135,    136, 

Randall,  Governor,  9,  202  142,  146,   147,  187.    195,    197,  198, 

Rapidan  River,   208,   211,  213,  219,  199,  203,  212,  219,  222,  225 

222,  225,  227,  250  Rappahannock  Station,  200,  201,  226 


329 


Reader,  Lieut.  William  A.,  26,  31 
"Remington,  Capt.  Wm.  N.,  169, 170n, 

171n,    172n,    253,    264,    265,    272, 

303n,  306 
Resaca,  281 ,  288 
Reynolds,  General  John  F.,  67,  101, 

136n,  153,  162,  165,  166.  219 
Revels,  Wm.  J.,  314 
Rice,  Gen.  J.  CM  200,  201,  202,  216, 

218n,  249 
Richardson,  Captain  Hollon,  51,  82, 

174.,  220n 

Ricketts,  General,  105 
Richmond,  41,  44,  45,  76,  238,  240, 

278,  279,  282,  290 
Riley,  William,  55,  56,  57,  69 

Salem  Church,  138 

Salomon,  Governor  Edward,  50,  237 

"  Sam,"  148 

Sanitary  Commission,  251,  256,  287 

Scales,  Gen.  A.  M.  (Con.),  175n 

Schumacher,  Lieut.  F.,  13n 

Sears,  William,  51 

Sedgwick,  General,  138,  139,  214 

Selleck,  W.  Y.,  251,  252,  253,  258 

Seminary  Ridge,  (Gettysburg),  164, 
173,  174,  175,  176 

Serrill,  Lieutenant  H.,  13,  31 

Seward,  Secretary  W.  H.,  6n,  27 

Seymour,  Horatio,  106 

Sharpsburg,  86,  96,  99,  100,  101 

Sharpsburg  and  Hagerstown  Turn 
pike,  87,  88,  94,  95 

Shenandoah  Valley,  45 

Sherman,  Corporal,  94 

Shiloh,  Battle  of,  40 

Shippen,  Captain,  276 

Showalter,  Lieut.  Levi,  165,  166n, 
171n 

Sickles,  General,  180 

Slaughter  Family,  205,  206.  207 

Smith,  Honorable  Caleb,  27 

Smith,  Dr.,  120,  121.  122 

Smith,  Hadyn  K  ,  286,  287,  288,  289 

Smith,  R.  N.,  (Drum  Major),  164, 
207 

Snicker's  Gap,  104 

Snyder,  Sergeant  Nicholas,  267 

South  Mountain,  79,  80,  85,  156,  157, 


Robertson's  Tavern,  230 
Robinson,  General  John  C.,  264 
Robinson,  Colonel  W.  W.,  136n,  153, 

159n,  174,  176n,  183n,  264,  267,  275, 

276,  283 

Rock  Creek,  (Gettysburg),  180,  181ii 
Rockville,  78 
Roddis,  Mr.,  237 
Rogers,   Lieut.  Clayton  E.,  26,  43, 

112,  113,  114,  135,  144,  150,  171n, 

176,  179 
Rogers,   Lieut.    Earl    M,  113,   114, 

170n,  262,  297n,  303n 
Rosecrans,  General,  208,  210 
Rosser,  Colonel  T.   L.  (Con.),  224, 

225,  226 


S. 


186 
South  Mountain,  Battle  of,  53,  80-84, 

85n,  97n,  128,  187,  313,  314,  318 
Spear,  Corporal  Dugald,  314 
Spottsylvania,  Battle  of,  94,  187,  250, 

256,   258,   265,    267-273,  277,   278, 

285,  294,  297,  313,  318 
Spottsylvania  Court  House,  53,  253n, 

254,  255,  257,  263,  264,  270,  274 
Sprague,  Albert  P.,  251n 
Stan  ton,  Secretary  E.  M.,  45,  77 
Staples,  Chaplain  N.  A.,  13 
Steadman,  Levi,  168 
Stegman,  Captain  Lewis  R  ,  183n 
Steinmetz,  Henry,  314 
St.  Stephens  Chapel,  39,  40 
Stevensburgh,  212,  222,  225,  242 
Stevens,  Lieut.  Col  G.  H  ,  159n 
Stevens,  Hon.  Thaddeus,  118 
Stewart,  Lieutenant  James,  73,  81, 

132n,  175 
Stone,  Colonel   J.   M.,   (Con.),  158, 

169n,  182,  183 
Stone,  Colonel  Roy,  174 
Stringfellow's  Ford,  211 
Stuart,  General  J.  E.  B.,  (Con.),  53, 

54,  58n,  110 
Sudley  Springs,  69 
Sullivan,  James.P.,  47,  314 
Sumner,  General,  84 
Sumpter,  Fort,  5,  115 
Sweet,  Lieutenant  Colonel  B.  J.,  13, 

24,  37,  49,  50 


T. 


Taliaferro,  General,  (Con.),  66,  68 
Talty,  Hugh,. 47 
Tarbell,  Colonel,  311 
Taylor,  Chas.  M.,  46n 


Telegraph  Road,  53,  274 
Temple,  Silas  W.,  46n 
Tester,  Lieutenant  J.  T.,  13n 
Thomas,  Lieutenant  F.  C.,  13n 


330 


Thomas,  Captain  W.  R.,  313 
Thornburg,  274 

Thoroughfare  Gap,  215,  216,  217 
Ticknor,  Captain  John,  26,  29,  81, 

89,  98,  167,  170n,  180n 
Timmons,    Lieutenant  John,   170n, 

253,  265,  297,  301,   302,  303,   305, 

307,   309,   310 


Todd's  Tavern,  264 

Tomlinson,  Bob.,  214 

Towle,  John  K.,  46n 

Trumbull,  Hoel,  50 

Turner,  Capt.  I.  N.  M.,  (Con.),  96n 

Turner,  John,  8 

Turner's  Gap,  80 

Tyler,  General,  258 


U. 


United  States  Ford,  139 
Upham,  Lieut.  Lyman  B.,  31,  93 


Vallandigham,  Mr.,  155,  192,  216 
Van  Dor,  Colonel,  25 
Vicksburg,  144,  163, 196 


Upton's  Hill,  75,  76,  78 
Utley,  William  L.,  8 


V. 


Vilas,  Lieutenant  Colonel  William 
F.,  9,  49,  50,  207 


W. 


Wadsworth,  General  James  S.,  26, 
115,  129,  130,  135,  136n,  144,  153, 
171n,  173,  175,  176,  179,  183n,  239, 
240,  242,  245,  249,  250,  251n,  257, 
262 

Wainwright,  Colonel  W.  P.,  68 

Waller,  Frank  Asbury,  161,169, 170, 
180n 

Walker,  Francis  A.,  203n 

Ward,  Surgeon  A.  J.,  63n 

Warren,  General  G.  K.,  213,  219, 
239,  240,  243,  245,  266 

Warrenton,  47,  58,  59,  105,  191,  192, 
193,  214,  222 

Warrenton  Turnpike,  59,  66,  69,  70, 
75 

Washington,  19,  30,  33,  34,  51,  75, 
77,  78,  128,  149,  154,  159,  225,  226, 
252,  290,  301,  305,  311,  316,  318 

Waterford,  188 

Watrous,  Captain  Jerome  A.,  304 

Watson,  W.  H.,  10,  11 

Weldon  Eoad,  Battle  of,  292,  301, 
305,  306,  307,  308,  310,  313,  314 

Welsh,  Major  M.  C.,  299 

WTest  Point,  278 

Whaley,  Major  Edward  A.,  313 

Whaley,  William,  30 

W7hite  Oak  Church,  140,  142,  143, 
144,  145.  146,  149 

White  Plains,  191 

W  bitty,  James,  313 

Wickes,  Rev.  Thos.,  237 

Wilcox  Landing,  290 

Wilderness,  The,  249,  250 


Wilderness,  Battle  of  the,  250,  259- 

263,  285,  294,  313,  314,  318 
Wilderness  Tavern,  Old,  259 
Williams,  E.  S.,  64n 
Williams,  Major  H.  J.,  (Con.),  96n 
Williams,  General  Seth,  236 
Williams,  Colonel  S.,  113,  159n 
Williamsport,  186,  187,  192,  193,  196 
Willoughby  Run,  (Gettysburg),  174, 

175 

Wilson,  Captain  William,  313 
Wisconsin,  2nd  Regiment,  21,  25n, 
48,  59,  60,  61,  62,  63,  64,  65,  66,  74, 
78n,  80,  81,  92,  97,  120,  121,  132, 
143,  159n,  165,  166n,  184,  186,  194, 
197,  236,  266,  311 
Wisconsin,  5th  Regiment,  15,  19n, 

21,24,25 

Wisconsin,  6th  Regiment,  Passim 
Wisconsin,  7th  Regiment,  25,  61,  62, 
63,  64,  66,  74.  78n,  80,  81,  82,  97, 
132,  135,  153,'l59n,  165,  174,  179n, 
184,  194,  214,  220n,  236,  248,  249, 
252,  265,  279,  311 
Wisconsin,  30th  Regiment,  236 
Wister,  Colonel  L..  21 8n 
Wood,  Captain  J.  D.,  60,  166 
Woods,  John  P.,  150 
Woodward,  Lieut.  Gilbert  M.,  164 
Woffard,  Colonel  W.  T.,  (Con.),  95, 

96n 
Work,   Lieutenant   Colonel    P.  A., 

(Con.),  96n 
Wright,  General,  267n 
Wright  Major,  159n 


Y. 


Yates,  Aaron,  46n,  266 


Yellow  Tavern,  308. 


U.  C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


€056303^13 


